However, it was not until the mid and late 1990s when the civil war in Somalia broke out that the majority of Somalis arrived in the United States.

Following independence in 1960, Somali students began arriving in the US to pursue higher studies while living with relatives or on scholarships.

[12] Following a greatly improved security situation in Somalia in 2012, many Somali U.S. residents have also begun returning to Mogadishu and other parts of the country.

[13] A few of the homeward-bound immigrants along with some American-born associates have been sought and/or prosecuted for allegedly providing material support to the Al-Shabaab and Islamic State political militant groups.

Participating in the renovation of schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure, they have played a leading role in the capital's recovery and have also helped propel the local real estate market.

[13] Estimates of the number of Somali immigrants living in the United States vary widely, ranging from 35,760 to 150,000 persons.

According to US Census Bureau estimates for 2008–2012, the largest concentration of Somalia-born people in the United States is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area (17,320) of Minnesota.

[22] Additionally, the Federal Government of Somalia announced that it would start officially keeping count of Somalis abroad.

[24] At the national level, survey data over the period 2011 to 2015 shows that 58% of working age Somali Americans were employed and 5.1% self-employed.