Federal authorities are preparing an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, focusing on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the U.S. The operation, which could begin soon, targets people in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area with final deportation orders.

This move follows President Trump's recent rhetoric about the Somali community, which has heightened tensions. The president said on Tuesday that he doesn't want Somali immigrants in the U.S. because “they contribute nothing.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey pushed back against Trump’s depiction of Somalis, saying it “violates the moral fabric of what we stand by in this country as Americans.”

“They have started businesses and created jobs. They have added to the cultural fabric of what Minneapolis is,” Frey said Tuesday.

The mayor vowed that the city’s police officers, many of whom are Somali, will not work with any federal agents doing immigration enforcement, saying “it’s not their job.”

“Targeting Somali people means that due process will be violated, mistakes will be made, and let’s be clear, it means that American citizens will be detained for no other reason than the fact that they look like they are Somali,” he said. “That is not now and will never be a legitimate reason.”

Minnesota has the largest Somali community in the nation.

Many fled the civil war in Somalia and were drawn to the state's welcoming programs.

Community leaders worry the operation may lead to arrests of U.S. citizens and others lacking legal status.