“I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you,” Trump said, adding that the US would “go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country.”
His comments coincided with reports that immigration authorities are planning an enforcement operation in Minnesota, home to one of the largest Somali communities in the US. Officials in Minnesota have criticised the plan, warning it could inadvertently target American citizens of Somali descent.
Trump also criticised Representative Ilhan Omar, the Somali-American congresswoman representing a Minnesota district. “I always watch her,” Trump said, claiming Omar “hates everybody” and describing her as “incompetent.” Omar responded on social media, calling Trump’s focus on her “creepy” and saying he “desperately needs help.”
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been directed to target undocumented Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities, according to sources familiar with the planning. Hundreds are expected to be affected once the operation begins. A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, stated that enforcement targets are determined by legal status, not race or ethnicity.
Local leaders, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota state Senator Zaynab Mohamed, condemned the planned operation. They emphasised that most Somali residents in the state are US citizens and that targeting them would violate due process. Democratic Governor Tim Walz also criticised the move, calling it a “PR stunt” that unfairly singles out a community.
The Minnesota Somali community has long held Temporary Protected Status (TPS) due to ongoing conflict in Somalia, but Trump has indicated his intention to end TPS for Somali residents in Minnesota. This decision would affect a few hundred individuals. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also suggested that visa fraud in Minnesota would be investigated as part of the administration’s broader crackdown.
The Trump administration’s intensified immigration measures come after last week’s shooting in Washington DC that left two National Guard members injured, which the White House cited as justification for stricter enforcement. Trump has also threatened to “permanently pause migration” from countries he calls “third world nations” and halted all new asylum decisions while reviewing green cards issued to migrants from multiple countries.
Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, who was briefed on Trump’s remarks, suggested they be ignored, stressing that escalating the issue would do more harm than good.