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Washington, D.C. – December 4, 2025 – For the second consecutive day, President Donald Trump unleashed a barrage of inflammatory remarks against Somali immigrants and Somali Americans, accusing them of "destroying Minnesota" and "destroying our country." Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump described the state as "a hellhole right now," adding that Somali residents "should be out of here" and "all they do is complain." His comments, which echo similar outbursts during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, have drawn widespread condemnation from civil rights advocates, Minnesota leaders, and even some Republicans, who warn that the rhetoric is fueling fear in immigrant communities and could incite violence.
Trump's tirade comes on the heels of a high-profile federal investigation into fraud schemes allegedly involving individuals of Somali descent in Minnesota, where prosecutors have charged dozens in connection with COVID-19 relief programs that defrauded taxpayers of more than $1 billion. The schemes, centered around a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future, involved falsified claims for child nutrition funds, medical reimbursements, and housing assistance, spanning several years. While the cases have highlighted vulnerabilities in social services oversight, critics argue that Trump's broad-brush attacks unfairly demonize an entire community, the vast majority of whom are law-abiding U.S. citizens or legal residents.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali diaspora in the United States, with approximately 80,000 people of Somali descent residing primarily in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. Many arrived as refugees fleeing Somalia's protracted civil war, which began in 1991 and has left the East African nation fractured by clan rivalries, famine, and the influence of militant groups like Al-Shabaab. Somali Americans have become integral to the state's economy and culture, owning businesses, serving in public office, and contributing to sectors like healthcare and education. A 2023 study by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development found that immigrants from East Africa, including Somalis, have a labor force participation rate exceeding 70%, higher than the state average, and they pay billions in taxes annually.
Yet Trump's focus on this community has intensified since late November, when conservative activist Christopher Rufo published unsubstantiated claims alleging that fraudulently obtained funds from Minnesota programs were funneled to Al-Shabaab. The Treasury Department, led by Secretary Scott Bessent, announced an investigation into potential diversions of taxpayer dollars to the terrorist organization, citing a right-wing media report. Trump seized on these allegations during Thanksgiving remarks, vowing to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis in Minnesota—a legal designation shielding about 1,000 individuals from deportation due to unsafe conditions back home. Legal experts question the administration's authority to unilaterally end TPS without congressional input, but the move has already sparked panic.
Coinciding with the rhetoric, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched a major operation in the Twin Cities on Wednesday, deploying "strike teams" of about 100 agents from across the country. A senior law enforcement official clarified that the raids are not exclusively targeting Somalis but focus on individuals with final deportation orders, regardless of nationality. However, given the concentration of Somali undocumented residents—estimated at a few thousand—the sweeps are expected to disproportionately affect the community. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter held a joint press conference Tuesday, vowing that local police would not assist federal agents and reaffirming support for Somali residents. Frey described the city as a "sanctuary" and emphasized that Minneapolis does not receive advance notice of ICE operations.
Trump's personal attacks zeroed in on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), the first Somali American elected to Congress in 2018. "She shouldn’t be allowed to be a congresswoman," Trump declared Wednesday, adding that she should be "thrown out of our country." Omar, who fled Somalia's civil war at age 8, spent four years in a Kenyan refugee camp before resettling in the U.S. at 12 and becoming a citizen in 2000, has long been a lightning rod for Trump's ire. On Tuesday, he labeled her "garbage," mocking her advocacy for constitutional rights by saying, "Go back to your own country and figure out your own constitution." Omar responded on X, writing, "Your message of bigotry won’t work. Somali Americans are here to stay." In an op-ed published Thursday in The New York Times, she elaborated: "The president fails to realize how deeply Somali Americans love this country. We are doctors, teachers, and elected leaders working to make our country better. We will not let Trump intimidate or debilitate us."
Omar told NPR that Trump's attacks are a deflection from his own administration's scrutiny over policy failures, calling the rhetoric "vile" and rooted in "racism, xenophobia, bigotry, and Islamophobia." She referenced his 2019 tweet telling her and three other congresswomen of color—known as "The Squad"—to "go back" to the countries they came from, despite the fact that three were U.S.-born. This history underscores a pattern: During his first term, Trump referred to African nations as "shithole countries" in 2018 and imposed a travel ban on Somalia and other Muslim-majority countries in 2017. In September 2025, he revived the ban for 12 nations, including Somalia, citing national security.
Minnesota's political leaders have rallied against the president. Democratic Sen. Tina Smith labeled the remarks "what bigotry looks like" and "despicable" during a Senate floor speech. Gov. Tim Walz, in a fiery video posted to X, called Trump's language "unprecedented for a U.S. President" and accused him of demonizing people by race and ethnicity. "Anyone in this state who are unable to condemn this vile attack on our neighbors, you are complicit in it and it will not stand," Walz said, adding that "the only thing that is hurting this state is Donald Trump himself." Frey, responding to Trump's dismissal of him as "a fool" for praising the Somali community, stood firm: "I wouldn’t be proud... Look at their nation. Look how bad their nation—it’s not even a nation. It’s just people walking around killing each other." Frey countered on X: "We are proud of our Somali neighbors who build businesses, raise families, and strengthen our city."
Trump doubled down on his portrayal of Somalia, telling reporters, "Somalia is considered by many to be the worst country on Earth," and "what the Somalian people have done to Minnesota is not even believable." He described the nation as having "no laws, no water, no military, no nothing," and urged Somalis to "go back to where they came from and fix it." Somalia ranks low on global indices—159th out of 191 on the 2025 Human Development Index due to conflict and poverty—but it has made strides in recent years, including democratic elections in 2022 and economic growth from remittances sent by diaspora communities like Minnesota's.
The backlash has rippled nationally. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported a 25% spike in anti-Muslim hate incidents since Tuesday, including threats against Somali-owned businesses in Minneapolis. On X, Somali American voices amplified defenses: One user noted that 58% of Somalis in Minnesota are U.S.-born, with 85% of the rest naturalized citizens, asserting, "They have just as much right to this country as Donald Trump." Another highlighted Trump's 2016 rally warning in Minnesota about "massive Somali refugee dumps," framing his current comments as prescient rather than prejudiced.
As ICE operations continue, community leaders are organizing legal aid clinics and know-your-rights workshops. Abdirahman Mukhtar, executive director of the Somali Community Center in St. Paul, told Al Jazeera, "This isn't about fraud; it's about scapegoating. Our people fled war to build peace here—Trump's words threaten that." With midterms looming in 2026, Democrats see an opportunity to mobilize immigrant voters, while Trump's base cheers the unfiltered nativism.
The episode encapsulates broader tensions in Trump's second term: promises of mass deportations clashing with America's immigrant fabric. As one Somali elder in Minneapolis put it to Reuters, "We came with nothing but hope. Now, the president wants to take that away." Whether this rhetoric galvanizes enforcement or backfires politically remains to be seen, but for now, it has deepened divides in the heartland.
