President Trump’s harsh remarks toward Somali immigrants coincide with reports of intensified federal deportation operations in Minnesota’s large Somali community.
President Donald Trump sharply criticized Somali immigrants during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday December 2, 2025, delivering comments that triggered widespread condemnation and deepened concerns in Minnesota’s Somali community. The remarks came as multiple U.S. media outlets reported that federal authorities are preparing stepped-up deportation operations targeting undocumented Somalis in the Minneapolis–St. Paul region.
Speaking during the meeting, Trump described Somali immigrants in harsh terms and criticized Representative Ilhan Omar, who was born in Somalia and is a U.S. citizen serving Minnesota’s 5th District. According to reporters in the room, Trump claimed Somalis “contribute nothing” and said the United States should stop accepting immigrants from the country. He also used inflammatory language to describe Somalia and suggested that those dissatisfied with life in the United States should return to their country of origin.
The comments landed just as The New York Times reported plans by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to send “strike teams” of roughly 100 agents to Minnesota. The operation would focus on individuals with final deportation orders, particularly in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area—home to the largest Somali population in the United States. The Associated Press and other news organizations later corroborated the report.
Read Also: US: Trump Plan To Label Muslim Brotherhood A Terrorist Group
The increased enforcement activity follows renewed political attention on several fraud cases involving some Somali residents in Minnesota. Prosecutors allege that individuals in these cases improperly obtained reimbursements for meal programs, medical care, housing assistance, and autism services. Trump administration officials previously cited related investigations when threatening to revoke temporary protected status for Somalis living in the state.
Adding to the tension, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that his department is reviewing claims—circulated in a right-leaning media outlet—that some Minnesota taxpayer funds may have been diverted to the extremist group al-Shabaab. Local officials and community leaders have sharply rejected those allegations, calling them unverified and dangerous.
In Minneapolis, city leaders held a press conference Tuesday December 2, 2025, to address what they called “credible reports” of heightened federal enforcement. Mayor Jacob Frey affirmed the city’s support for its Somali residents and emphasized that local police do not assist in immigration operations. The police chief added that the department receives no advance notice from federal agencies regarding such actions.
“To our Somali community, we love you and we stand with you,” Frey said, noting that Minnesota is home to roughly 80,000 Somali Americans, most of whom are U.S. citizens or lawful residents. He warned that aggressive enforcement carries risks. “Targeting Somali people means that due process will be violated, mistakes will be made, and American citizens will be detained for no other reason than they look Somali,” he said.
