Mahad Mohamud, a 36-year-old Somali immigrant known online as ‘Garyaqaan’ (The Judge), is navigating a difficult readjustment to life in Mogadishu after being deported from Minneapolis just as winter settled across Minnesota. The TikTok personality with nearly half-million followers finds himself back in Somalia’s heat and chaos after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehended him earlier this year.
Mohamud’s case represents complex intersections of social media influence, immigration policy, and personal security concerns. His popular TikTok account, part of Somalia’s lucrative ‘roasting’ subculture where he defended his clan’s interests, brought both fame and danger. While his followers celebrated his content, Islamist militant group al-Shabab issued death threats against him for his pro-government stance—threats that formed part of his asylum claim.
The deportation process began when rival TikTokers allegedly leaked his address to immigration authorities. ICE detained Mohamud based on two allegations: illegal entry into the United States and involvement in the kidnapping of French officials in Mogadishu. Though the FBI cleared him of the kidnapping charges after questioning, his asylum case was ultimately denied, leading to six months of detention and eventual deportation.
Mohamud’s journey to America began over a decade ago with stops in South Africa, where he survived xenophobic violence, and Brazil before crossing the Mexican border without documentation. After being arrested at the border, he was released with a work permit pending his asylum case resolution. In Minneapolis, he built a new life working as an Uber driver while growing his TikTok presence, which provided steady income through viewer gifts during live streams.
His deportation involved multiple transfers between detention facilities before finally being placed in a restraining jacket for the multi-leg flight to Somalia via Costa Rica, Senegal, and Kenya. Though reunited with his three children after a decade apart, Mohamud fears for his safety due to ongoing al-Shabab threats and maintains heightened security precautions.
His case occurs amid heightened immigration tensions. President Trump recently announced plans to end temporary protection status that prevents deportations while home countries remain unsafe, specifically mentioning Somali immigrants. This policy shift has created anxiety within Minneapolis’s large Somali community (approximately 80,000 residents), where videos show ICE agents conducting door-to-door operations in areas like Little Mogadishu.
The BBC documented several young Somali men now living in hiding, missing work and meals while fearing detection. One anonymous deportee described returning to Somalia with nothing after spending $20,000 to reach the U.S., now contemplating migration again despite the risks. With no official deportation figures available, these individual stories highlight the human impact of changing immigration policies.