US President Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on Somali immigrants, calling them “garbage” and vowing to remove them from the country as federal agents prepare a major deportation operation in Minnesota.
Trump brands Somalis ‘garbage’ in fresh tirade
Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he did not want Somalis in the United States and claimed they “contribute nothing” while living off aid. The president offered no evidence for the remarks.
“They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you,” Trump said. “Some people will say, ‘Oh, that’s not politically correct.’ I don’t care… Your country stinks, and we don’t want them in our country.”
He also renewed personal attacks on Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American lawmaker, calling her “garbage” and accusing her without proof of being anti-Semitic. Omar, who arrived in the US as a refugee in 1995, dismissed the president’s obsession as “creepy” and challenged him to produce evidence against the community.
ICE set to launch sweep in Minneapolis-St Paul
Multiple US media outlets reported on Tuesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to deploy at least 100 agents to Somali neighbourhoods in the Twin Cities area within days. The operation will target undocumented individuals for deportation and may also affect those with pending legal status applications.
Since Trump took office in January 2025, more than 527,000 people have already been deported, with raids carried out in cities including Chicago, Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York and Phoenix.
Minnesota leaders vow to protect Somali residents
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the planned operation as a “PR stunt” that targets immigrants indiscriminately. At a press conference in Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey called the raids “terrorising” and un-American.
“To our Somali community, we love you, and we stand with you,” Frey told residents.
City Council Member Jamal Osman, who arrived from Somalia at age 14, added: “Somali Americans are here to stay. This is home. We’re not going anywhere.”
Local authorities confirmed city police will not cooperate with ICE during identity checks.
Long-running campaign against Somali community
The latest moves follow Trump’s 21 November 2025 announcement ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for about 705 Somalis. In a Truth Social post, he claimed without evidence that “Somali gangs are terrorising” Minnesota and accused Governor Walz of allowing the state to become a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity”.
The president has repeatedly targeted Somalis since his first term, when he placed Somalia under a travel ban affecting several Muslim-majority countries.
Fraud allegations fuel crackdown
Conservative activist Christopher Rufo alleged in a 19 November article that some welfare funds received by Somalis in Minnesota were sent back home and reached al-Shabaab militants. The claims centre on the Feeding Our Future scandal, a $300 million COVID-19 relief fraud case that saw convictions of both white and Somali-American defendants.
Community leaders say the cases involve only a tiny fraction of Minnesota’s Somali population and are being used to justify collective punishment.
Broader immigration overhaul
The administration has cut the annual refugee ceiling to 7,500 – the lowest since 1980 – while reportedly prioritising white South Africans. Immigration from 19 countries, including Somalia, was paused after a fatal shooting involving an Afghan national.
Somali diaspora in the United States
The US is home to around 260,000 people of Somali descent, with the largest concentration – between 87,000 and 94,000 – living in Minnesota. Most arrived fleeing civil war that began after the 1991 collapse of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre’s regime.
In Minneapolis, Somali-owned businesses dominate entire blocks in areas nicknamed “Little Mogadishu”. Many started in meatpacking plants before moving into finance, health, education and politics.
Official data show Somali men in the 25-64 age group have employment rates of 84% in some states, countering claims that the community does not work.
