Community activist Omar Jamal speaks out about being detained by ICE in Minnesota
Somali-American community activist Omar Jamal spoke on Friday about his time being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and held in a jail in Albert Lea, Minnesota.
Authorities said Jamal was held as an ICE detainee from Aug. 29 to Sept. 30.
Jamal's attorney says the case was resolved and his release was granted through a mutually agreed-upon settlement through the court.
In the past, Omar Jamal has been a spokesperson for the Somali community in Minneapolis. He says he joined the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office as a civilian community service officer in 2020. But when he was arrested in August, the Department of Homeland Security cited his criminal history, which they say includes "assault, fraud, and making fraudulent statements," accusations Jamal has disputed.
He was first issued a final order of removal in 2011, but was not deported. On Friday morning, he spoke to reporters, saying his main reason for speaking was to talk about the professional and humane way he was treated by law enforcement while he was in custody and to dispel rumors that he was being mistreated.
"I'm here to state the fact that in my short-time experience, I observed the situation inside and I looked at the behavior and professional conduct of the deputies that work in the facility," Jamal said, flanked by representatives of the Freeborn County Sheriff's Office.
Jamal was reportedly released on an order of supervision with a GPS tracking device. He is required to frequently check in with ICE, but he did not elaborate or talk about those conditions when asked. He did say he has returned to work for the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office.
The press conference came just hours after ICE agents reportedly entered a St. Paul resident's backyard and detained an entire roofing crew.
This story will be updated.
