Standing in solidarity with Minnesota’s Somali community

Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger, and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35). At Augsburg University, we live and work side-by-side with members of the Somali diaspora in Minnesota, whom we know as bright students, engaged alumni, community partners, and leaders in our city. We deeply value our Somali American neighbors, whose safety and well-being have been threatened in recent days with dehumanizing rhetoric and targeted immigration enforcement actions. As a university founded by immigrants and rooted in the values of the Lutheran church, we unequivocally reject these tactics. We stand in solidarity with Minnesota’s Somali community.