On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump made headlines with his inflammatory comments about Somali immigrants, referring to them as “garbage” and suggesting they should be sent back to their home country. This rant occurred during a cabinet meeting and coincided with reports of the administration ramping up immigration enforcement against undocumented Somalis in Minnesota.
During his outburst, Trump specifically targeted the Somali community and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who is a U.S. citizen originally from Somalia. He described Somalia as a country that “stinks” and claimed it was “no good for a reason.” Trump expressed his disdain, stating, “They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you.” His comments included derogatory remarks about Omar, whom he labeled as “garbage,” warning that the U.S. would “go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country.”
Trump went on to criticize the Somali community, saying, “These are people who do nothing but complain.” He added, “When they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but bitch, we don’t want them in our country. Let them go back to where they came from and fix it.” This rhetoric has raised significant concerns about the treatment of Somali immigrants and the implications of his statements.
According to a report by The New York Times, the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, home to a large population of Somalis, is set to see intensified deportation efforts this week. These efforts will primarily focus on Somalis who have final deportation orders and will involve the deployment of “strike teams” comprising approximately 100 agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies.
These enforcement actions come in the wake of several fraud cases involving Somali residents, where prosecutors allege that many have lied to the state to obtain reimbursements for meal disbursements, medical care, housing, and autism services. The Trump administration has previously threatened to revoke temporary protected status for Somalis in Minnesota, labeling the state as a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.”
In response to the escalating enforcement actions, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other city leaders held a press conference to express their support for the Somali community. Frey emphasized that the city stands united with Somali residents, stating, “To our Somali community, we love you and we stand with you. That commitment is rock solid.” He further noted that Minneapolis police do not assist with immigration enforcement and that the department does not receive advance notice of any ICE operations.
Mayor Frey raised alarms about the potential consequences of targeting Somali individuals, stating, “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 they look Somali.” With about 80,000 Somalis living in Minnesota, most of whom are U.S. citizens or legal residents, the community’s safety and rights remain a pressing concern amidst these developments.