Former U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked controversy with inflammatory remarks directed at Somali immigrants, stating he does not want them in the United States and labelling them, along with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, as "garbage." The comments were made during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.
Trump's Derogatory Comments at Cabinet Meeting
Speaking to reporters, Trump explicitly targeted the Somali community. "They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country," he declared, adding a dismissive retort to potential critics: "Somebody will say, ‘Oh, that’s not politically correct.’ I don’t care. I don’t want them in our country." He further urged individuals to "go back to where they came from."
Trump's vitriol also extended to Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who was born in Mogadishu and is the first Somali-American elected to Congress. He included her in his sweeping characterization of the group.
Context: Planned ICE Enforcement Operation
The former president's outburst comes amid reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning a targeted enforcement operation. The operation is focused on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota.
Somali communities have been established in Minnesota and other states for decades, with many arriving as refugees since the 1990s, according to Associated Press reports.
Local Leaders Condemn Trump's Rhetoric
The response from local officials in Minneapolis was swift and critical. At a Tuesday night news conference, Mayor Jacob Frey condemned Trump's message as "wrong" and defended the contributions of Somali immigrants to the city.
"They have started businesses and created jobs. They have added to the cultural fabric of what Minneapolis is," Frey stated. "To again, villainize an entire group is ridiculous under any circumstances. And the way that Donald Trump is consistent in doing it, I think calls into question major constitutional violations."
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara, speaking at the same event, sought to distance local law enforcement from the federal operation, stressing that no city police would be involved in any ICE actions.
The incident highlights the ongoing, deeply polarized national debate over immigration policy and rhetoric in the United States, with Trump's comments likely to further inflame tensions.
