President Donald Trump sharply criticized Somali immigrants in Minnesota and Representative Ilhan Omar, calling some “garbage” and asserting that certain members of the community should “go back to where they came from.” The remarks came during a December 2nd Cabinet meeting and have drawn widespread attention and condemnation from local leaders and civil rights groups.
Trump, who has repeatedly targeted Omar, described her as “a real terrible person” and accused her of hating everyone. He further criticized Somalia as “barely a country” with no structure, adding that the nation “stinks” and that its people contribute little to the United States.
Federal immigration enforcement actions in the Minneapolis–St. Paul region, home to the nation’s largest Somali community, is underway. Although officials indicated that the operation is targeting individuals violating immigration laws, many residents are U.S. citizens, and Somali leaders reported growing concern as accounts of detentions began to surface.
Local officials quickly responded to Trump’s remarks. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey pledged to protect the city’s Somali residents, while St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter called the remarks “racist, Islamophobic and xenophobic.” Governor Tim Walz noted that only a few individuals were involved in fraud cases and criticized demonizing the entire community as “lazy.”
Some administration officials supported Trump, with Vice President JD Vance banging the table in agreement at the cabinet meeting and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling the remarks “amazing and an epic moment.” Civil rights advocates, however, warned that the language contributes to the normalization of racialized and xenophobic commentary.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul area is home to approximately 84,000 people of Somali descent, many of whom arrived as refugees in the 1990s and have since established businesses, civic engagement, and educational initiatives. Community leaders have highlighted the positive contributions of Somali Americans while voicing concern about the impact of the president’s remarks on safety and public perception.
