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US President Donald Trump has intensified his attacks on Somali immigrants for a second consecutive day, claiming they have “destroyed Minnesota” and “destroyed our country.” His remarks come amid growing criticism that he is using inflammatory language toward migrant communities.
Speaking to reporters, Trump described Minnesota as “a hellhole right now,” asserting that Somali residents “should be out of here” and that “all they do is complain.” His comments follow recent fraud cases involving individuals of Somali descent accused in Covid relief schemes that netted more than $1 billion. Minnesota is home to roughly 80,000 Somali Americans.
Trump’s rhetoric coincides with the start of a new immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area. A senior law enforcement official said Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not specifically targeting Somalis, though some may be arrested if they are found to have violated immigration laws.
The president also escalated his long-running attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, the first Somali American elected to Congress. “She shouldn’t be allowed to be a congresswoman,” Trump said, adding that she should be “thrown out of our country.”
Omar fled Somalia during its civil war, later living in a Kenyan refugee camp before arriving in the U.S. at age 12.
Responding on social media, Omar pushed back against Trump’s rhetoric, saying, “Your message of bigotry won’t work. Somali Americans are here to stay.”
Other Minnesota leaders condemned Trump’s remarks. Sen. Tina Smith described them as “what bigotry looks like,” while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he was proud of the city’s Somali community — prompting Trump to call him “a fool.”
“Then he’s a fool. I wouldn’t be proud,” Trump said. “Look at their nation. Look how bad their nation — it’s not even a nation. It’s just people walking around killing each other,” he said.
“Somalia is considered by many to be the worst country on Earth,” Trump said later, adding that “what the Somalian people have done to Minnesota is not even believable.”
“They have destroyed Minnesota,” he said.
The US president has a history of making derogatory remarks about African and immigrant communities. Omar noted in a televised interview that Trump has targeted her and other women of color for years, referencing his previous statement telling “The Squad” to “go back” to their countries — even though all but Omar were born in the United States.
