President Donald Trump’s latest remarks targeting Somali immigrants sparked outrage and anxiety Wednesday in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, home to the largest Somali community in the United States.
Speaking first during a Tuesday Cabinet meeting, Trump said Somalis “contribute nothing” and described them as “garbage,” adding that accepting them would send the country “the wrong way.” He intensified the criticism on Wednesday, telling reporters at an Oval Office event that “Somalians should be out of here” and that they had “destroyed our country.”
He also took aim at Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, calling him a “fool,” and said he would not be “proud to have the largest Somali population” in the U.S.
Hamse Warfa, a Minnesota-based Somali-born entrepreneur and head of the education nonprofit World Savvy, rejected the president’s remarks.
“I am not garbage. I’m a proud American citizen,” Warfa said, noting that anti-immigrant rhetoric has repeatedly been used for political gain, pointing to past comments Trump made about Haitian migrants ahead of the 2024 election.
The Twin Cities region is home to roughly 84,000 people of Somali descent — nearly one-third of the U.S. Somali population. Refugees from the East African nation have been settling in Minnesota since the 1990s, drawn by social support services and the growing diaspora community.
Trump’s comments came amid reports that federal authorities are preparing a targeted immigration enforcement action in Minnesota focused on Somalis living illegally in the country, according to a person familiar with the preparations. Most Somalis in the state, however, are U.S. citizens, including many born in America.
Some community leaders said they heard anecdotal accounts of detentions by federal agents, though they lacked details. Immigration officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Somalis have become an integral part of Minnesota’s civic and political landscape, contributing to local economies, opening businesses and serving in the Legislature and on city councils. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, frequently singled out by Trump — including this week, when he called her “garbage” — represents Minnesota in Congress.
The community has also faced scrutiny following the arrests of dozens of people, many of them Somalis, accused of involvement in fraud schemes targeting social service agencies. While Trump has repeatedly claimed Minnesota is “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” and suggested money may have flowed to the extremist group al-Shabab, federal authorities have not charged any defendants with terrorism-related offenses, and evidence of such links remains scant.
Trump’s latest remarks followed his administration’s decision to halt all asylum rulings after two National Guard soldiers were shot dead in Washington. Although the suspect is of Afghan origin, Trump questioned immigrants from other countries, including Somalia. The administration also paused immigration applications for people from 19 countries — among them Somalia — that had been under previous U.S. travel bans.
Minnesota leaders, including Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Frey, pledged to support Somali residents.
“Minneapolis is — and will remain — a city that stands up for our residents,” Frey said in a statement.
Several Democratic legislators and Minneapolis City Council members held a news conference Wednesday urging Republican lawmakers to condemn Trump’s comments.
“Where are the Republicans now?” asked state Sen. Zaynab Mohamed of Minneapolis, who said she had invited GOP leaders to attend the briefing.
Warfa said he hopes the political rhetoric recedes soon, especially as his daughter, a high school senior, prepares for college.
“I would rather spend time thinking about her future,” he said, instead of hearing the president describe people like him “as garbage.”