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Attacks on Somali immigrants
President Donald Trump used a Cabinet meeting and subsequent public remarks to attack Somali immigrants in Minnesota.
“calling Omar "garbage" and saying he does not want Somalis in the United States”
He repeatedly used dehumanizing language, saying he did not want Somalis in the United States, calling them 'garbage,' urging some to 'go back' or 'return' to Somalia, and describing Somalia as 'barely a country' or having 'no anything.'
Several outlets quoted him using those terms and reported he tied the remarks to alleged fraud probes in Minnesota while announcing steps to rescind Temporary Protected Status for some Somalis.
The rhetoric has been widely reported and amplified across outlet types, from Western mainstream summaries to West Asian and conservative-leaning outlets that reproduced the explicit language and the administration's stated rationale.
Twin Cities enforcement plans
Reports say White House rhetoric has coincided with plans for targeted immigration enforcement in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, a region with one of the largest Somali populations in the U.S.
Multiple outlets report that ICE was preparing an operation in the Twin Cities that could focus on Somali nationals with final deportation orders.
The reports have prompted alarm among local officials and community leaders who warn of due‑process risks and wrongful detentions.
DHS and administration spokespeople said enforcement would be based on immigration status rather than race.
City leaders said local police will not assist ICE and have held news conferences to condemn potential raids.
Fraud probes and alleged links
The administration's targeting has been linked in public remarks to major fraud prosecutions in Minnesota, including the widely reported 'Feeding Our Future' COVID-era school-meals fraud investigations.
“The renewed scrutiny has been tied by Trump and allies to large fraud prosecutions, including an alleged $300 million pandemic‑era child feeding fraud in which dozens—some Somali Americans—have been charged.”
Prosecutors allege large sums were stolen and say dozens, including many Somali Americans, were charged.
Many outlets report roughly $300 million alleged in one pandemic-era case and about 78 defendants charged in related probes.
But prosecutors and mainstream reporting note there is little public evidence tying the fraud to terrorism financing or to al‑Shabab, and no terrorism‑financing charges have been filed.
Responses to anti-Somali rhetoric
Local and national leaders and Somali community representatives have strongly pushed back.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz condemned fraud but warned against stigmatizing the entire Somali community and called some attacks a "PR stunt" in certain outlets' reporting.
Minneapolis and St. Paul officials, including Mayor Jacob Frey and council members, said police would not assist ICE in civil immigration enforcement and held joint news conferences expressing alarm.
Rep. Ilhan Omar described the president's focus on her and Somalis as "creepy and unhealthy."
Community groups such as CAIR-Minnesota reported a sharp rise in threats and harassment tied to White House rhetoric.
Somali diaspora context
The episode sits against the backdrop of a sizeable, politically active Somali diaspora in the U.S., especially in Minnesota, where estimates vary by source but most report tens of thousands of Somali-origin residents in the Twin Cities.
“The article profiles the roughly 260,000 Somali Americans—one of the largest Somali diasporas outside Somalia—... Minnesota’s Minneapolis–St. Paul area has the biggest concentration (about 63,000)”
Coverage differs on numbers and emphasis — Al Jazeera and AP provide broad diaspora context and demographic detail, Boston Globe and other U.S. outlets note high naturalization rates and civic participation, while international and regional sources highlight diplomatic sensitivity as Somali elders and officials in Somalia register concern.
Observers across source types warn the combination of harsh rhetoric and targeted enforcement risks stigmatizing a largely lawful community and could have wider political and diplomatic consequences.