WASHINGTON, D.C. – US President Donald Trump has sparked outrage after declaring he does not want Somali immigrants in the United States, comments made just as federal immigration officials reportedly prepare a targeted enforcement operation in Minnesota — home to the country’s largest Somali community.
Speaking during a televised cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that Somali immigrants should “go back to where they came from”, adding: “I don’t want them in our country… We keep taking in garbage into our country.”
The remarks came amid growing concern after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was reported to be planning a major operation in the Twin Cities — Minneapolis and St Paul — to arrest undocumented Somali nationals.
A source familiar with the plan told CBS News that hundreds of people were expected to be targeted beginning this week.
Local officials have condemned the reported sweep, warning it could ensnare lawful residents and US citizens based on appearance alone. Minnesota is home to roughly 80,000 Somali-born residents, the vast majority of whom hold American citizenship.
‘Somalia is barely a country’
In an extended tirade, Trump described Somalia as a nation with “no structure” where “they just run around killing each other”.
He also reignited his long-running feud with Representative Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American elected to Congress, calling her “incompetent” and claiming she “hates everybody”.
Omar hit back on social media, saying: “His obsession with me is creepy. I hope he gets the help he desperately needs.”
Federal agencies deny racial targeting
The Department of Homeland Security declined to confirm details of the planned ICE operation but denied that race or ethnicity played any role in enforcement decisions.
“What makes someone a target of ICE is not their race or ethnicity, but the fact that they are in the country illegally,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticised the reported plans, warning that “due process will be violated” if ICE conducts mass arrests in the Somali community.
Crackdown follows DC attack
The Trump administration has stepped up immigration enforcement following last week’s fatal shooting of a National Guard member in Washington DC.
The suspect, who has been arrested and charged with murder, is originally from Afghanistan — a point Trump has repeatedly highlighted as he pushes for tougher immigration rules.
Last week, he announced his intention to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals living in Minnesota, a move expected to affect several hundred residents.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has also suggested an upcoming crackdown on visa fraud in the state.
Minnesota leaders push back
State leaders, including Democratic Governor Tim Walz, accused Trump of exploiting fear for political gain.
“We welcome support in investigating and prosecuting crime,” Walz said. “But pulling a PR stunt and indiscriminately targeting immigrants is not a real solution.”
State Senator Zaynab Mohamed echoed that view, writing on X: “When ICE agents interact with Somalis here, they will find what we’ve been saying for years: Almost all of us are US citizens.”
Somalia remains one of the world’s poorest countries, and many of the Somali-born residents in Minnesota arrived in the US in the 1990s to escape the country’s protracted civil war.
