US President Donald Trump has sparked outrage with his derogatory remarks against Somali immigrants, describing them as "garbage" in a recent cabinet meeting. The comments came as the administration is reportedly cracking down on immigration enforcement against undocumented Somalis in Minnesota, a state that is home to the country's largest Somali population.
Trump's xenophobic rant targeted not only Somalis but also Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American congresswoman who is a US citizen. He claimed that Somalia "stinks" and is "no good for a reason", and stated that Somali immigrants contribute nothing to the country. Trump also called Omar "garbage" and suggested that taking in undocumented immigrants would lead to negative consequences.
The New York Times has reported that immigration enforcement efforts are increasing in the Minneapolis-St Paul metro area, where most Somalis reside. The move is expected to focus on deporting Somalis who have final deportation orders, using strike teams of ICE agents and other federal officers. According to reports, about 100 agents from across the country will be deployed for this operation.
The Trump administration has previously threatened to revoke temporary protected status for Somalis in Minnesota, citing claims of "fraudulent money laundering activity" in the state. More recently, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced an investigation into whether taxpayer dollars had been diverted to the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab.
Local leaders in Minneapolis have pushed back against the increased enforcement efforts, with Mayor Jacob Frey stating that the city stands with the Somali community and committing to protect its residents from "credible reports" of increased surveillance. Frey noted that Minneapolis police do not assist with immigration enforcement and will not receive advanced notice of any operations.
The targeting of Somalis in Minnesota is a highly contentious issue, with critics arguing that it would lead to due process violations, mistakes, and potentially detain American citizens for no reason other than their appearance.
Trump's xenophobic rant targeted not only Somalis but also Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American congresswoman who is a US citizen. He claimed that Somalia "stinks" and is "no good for a reason", and stated that Somali immigrants contribute nothing to the country. Trump also called Omar "garbage" and suggested that taking in undocumented immigrants would lead to negative consequences.
The New York Times has reported that immigration enforcement efforts are increasing in the Minneapolis-St Paul metro area, where most Somalis reside. The move is expected to focus on deporting Somalis who have final deportation orders, using strike teams of ICE agents and other federal officers. According to reports, about 100 agents from across the country will be deployed for this operation.
The Trump administration has previously threatened to revoke temporary protected status for Somalis in Minnesota, citing claims of "fraudulent money laundering activity" in the state. More recently, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced an investigation into whether taxpayer dollars had been diverted to the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab.
Local leaders in Minneapolis have pushed back against the increased enforcement efforts, with Mayor Jacob Frey stating that the city stands with the Somali community and committing to protect its residents from "credible reports" of increased surveillance. Frey noted that Minneapolis police do not assist with immigration enforcement and will not receive advanced notice of any operations.
The targeting of Somalis in Minnesota is a highly contentious issue, with critics arguing that it would lead to due process violations, mistakes, and potentially detain American citizens for no reason other than their appearance.
. Trump's just spewin' hate like it's goin' outta style 
. Somali immigrants are just tryin' to make a livin', sendin' their kids to school and payin' taxes like everyone else... but noooo, Trump's gotta go and call 'em "garbage" 
? It's just disgusting.
. You'd think someone with his own family, like him, would understand the struggles of comin' to this country as an immigrant... but I guess not 
.
. Minneapolis is standin' strong against this, and I hope more cities follow suit 
. We gotta stand together against hate speech like this... it's not okay 
.
. Like, what even is the logic behind calling Ilhan Omar "garbage"? She's a US citizen, born and raised in this country! Can't he just keep his mouth shut for once? 
And the whole deporting Somalis thing? That's gonna lead to so many problems, especially with all those final deportation orders already issued. What about due process, man? 
meanwhile did u know that the shortest war in history was between britain and zanzibar on august 27 1896 and lasted only 38 minutes? like what even is that 
This whole thing just makes me so worried about the people affected by Trump's words & actions. I mean, what even is his problem? The Somali community has been living in Minnesota for years, contributing to the economy & making this country a better place. And now he's talking trash about them like they're nothing? 
OMG, 100+ ICE agents deployed to Minneapolis-St Paul?! 
And what about Ilhan Omar, a US citizen herself? Trump's just fueling the xenophobia machine 
. Facts: 62% of Somalis in the US are naturalized citizens 
. The Trump admin's got some serious 'splainin' to do about these deportation ops 
. According to a Pew Research study, 71% of Americans oppose stricter immigration laws 
. 
I'm really disappointed in Trump's comments about Somali immigrants - they're just so hurtful and xenophobic 
. I mean, who talks like that? It's not even fair to Ilhan Omar, she's a US citizen too 
. And the fact that he thinks Somalis are "garbage" is just ridiculous 
.
. We should be welcoming people from all over the world, not kicking them out 
. This kind of rhetoric needs to stop ASAP 
.
It's just a recipe for disaster. I hope local leaders can keep pushing back against this and protect their residents from all this drama 
. And let's not forget the real issue here - the fact that Trump is spreading misinformation about Somalia and its people 
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. Trump's comments are just racist and hurtful, but I guess you can't expect him to be all sunshine and rainbows 
. On the bright side, it's great that local leaders in Minneapolis are standing up for their Somali community and saying no to increased surveillance 
. The real issue here is the increased enforcement efforts that could lead to mistakes and detention of innocent people 
.
this is so messed up Trump's comments are super racist and hurtful not just to the Somali community but also to Ilhan Omar who has done nothing wrong 
. The whole thing feels like a bigoted power play to me, and it's not okay 
.
That sounds like a stretch to me.