President Donald Trump made comments regarding Somali immigrants, stating his preference for them not to be in the United States. These remarks coincided with reports of a planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation targeting undocumented Somali immigrants in Minnesota.
Presidential Comments
During a cabinet meeting, President Trump said, "I don't want them in our country," and suggested they "go back to where they came from," asserting "their country is no good for a reason." He further added that the U.S. would "go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country."
He described Somalia as "barely a country" with "no structure," stating they "just run around killing each other." He also criticized Representative Ilhan Omar, calling her "incompetent" and stating she "hates everybody."
Response from Representative Omar
In response, Representative Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American elected to Congress, commented via social media that Trump's "obsession with me is creepy" and expressed hope he would "get the help he desperately needs."
Planned ICE Operation
Reports, initially from The New York Times and later confirmed by CBS News, indicated that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was directed to target undocumented Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. A person familiar with the planning told CBS News that hundreds of individuals were expected to be targeted starting that week.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Tricia McLaughlin, declined to comment on specific planned operations but stated that ICE enforces laws across the country and that individuals are targeted based on their illegal presence in the country, not their race or ethnicity.
Local Reaction and Community Context
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey publicly criticized the potential operation, asserting it "means due process will be violated." Local leaders noted that approximately 80,000 people of Somali origin reside in the area, with the majority being American citizens. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul host one of the largest Somali communities globally and the largest in the U.S.