Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Defends Somali Community, Praising Entrepreneurs as ‘CEOs of the Future’

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey offered strong praise for the city’s Somali community during a recent Somali Networking Night event, hailing local migrants as the “CEOs of the future” and champions of grassroots entrepreneurship.

Addressing the gathering, Frey emphasized the profound cultural and economic contributions Somali residents have brought to Minneapolis, declaring that the city is proud to host the vibrant population. He argued that the community’s rising economic influence has drawn outside scrutiny precisely because of the tangible success and business ventures they are actively constructing.

“You saw quite directly back in January and February a federal government that was coming after a whole community, and our incredible Somali people,” Frey told the audience. “I think one of the reasons that they were coming after you is they saw the kind of economy and entrepreneurship that you’re helping to build. They saw suddenly that the CEOs of the future are not all gonna look like me. The CEOs of the future are going to be from a thousand different backgrounds.”

Frey pushed back against limiting the community’s economic impact to a future horizon, asserting that Somali business owners are already driving local commerce today. “Suddenly, you all are creeping up in brilliant fashion. You’re not just the CEOs and entrepreneurs of tomorrow, but of right now,” he said. “You are showing that.”

The mayor’s remarks directly addressed earlier tensions involving federal authorities and the national administration. Earlier in the year, then-President Donald Trump publicly claimed that Somalians were responsible for siphoning approximately $19 billion from the United States, pledging to cut off funds aimed at combating alleged Somali-related fraud and corruption spanning states such as Minnesota, Illinois, and California.

Trump’s assertions followed investigative videos and reports published by various citizen journalists highlighting potential misuse of taxpayer funding across multiple states, including Washington, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota. Among them, citizen journalist Nick Shirley released footage in December 2025 documenting visits to several Minnesota childcare facilities that had reportedly collected millions of dollars in federal aid despite appearing vacant and devoid of children during his visits.

Despite these mounting national controversies and allegations of fiscal mismanagement regarding federal subsidies, local leaders in Minneapolis continue to emphasize the day-to-day contributions of the diaspora, positioning the community as a vital pillar of the regional economy.