At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on Somali immigrants and Rep. Ilhan Omar, calling Somalis “garbage” and saying Somalia “stinks” and is “no good for a reason.” He added that they “contribute nothing” and urged that they be sent back, saying the country will “go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage.” He also said they “complain” and urged they “go back to where they came from and fix it.”
The remarks came as news outlets reported a planned increase in immigration enforcement in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, home to most of Minnesota’s Somali residents. The New York Times reported the operation would focus primarily on Somalis who have final deportation orders and would deploy “strike teams” of ICE and other federal officers, with roughly 100 agents brought in from around the country. The Associated Press and other outlets have corroborated the reporting.
The stepped-up actions follow attention from right-leaning media and officials on several alleged fraud cases involving dozens of Somali residents accused of falsifying claims for reimbursements tied to meals, medical care, housing and autism services. The administration has previously signaled it might revoke temporary protected status for some Somalis in Minnesota, calling the state a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also announced an inquiry into whether Minnesota taxpayer dollars had “been diverted to the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab,” citing a recent rightwing report that made that claim.
Mayor Jacob Frey and other city leaders held a press conference after receiving what they described as credible reports of increased federal enforcement. Frey said Minneapolis stands with the Somali community, noted that the Minneapolis Police Department does not assist with immigration enforcement and does not receive advance notice of federal operations, and declared, “To our Somali community, we love you and we stand with you.” He warned that targeting Somali people risks due process violations, mistakes and the detention of U.S. citizens based solely on appearance.
Minnesota hosts one of the nation’s largest Somali populations: roughly 80,000 state residents are of Somali origin, and most are U.S. citizens or lawful residents. City leaders and advocates have expressed concern that the enforcement actions and inflammatory rhetoric could lead to civil-rights harms and community fear.