Trump Calls Somali Immigrants 'Garbage,' Revives Feud With Omar as ICE Targets Minnesota Community

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump unleashed a xenophobic tirade against Somali immigrants Tuesday, calling them "garbage" who should return to their "stinking" homeland and labeling Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a "terrible person" whose friends are also "garbage." The remarks, delivered at the close of his ninth Cabinet meeting of the year, coincided with reports of an impending Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweep in Minnesota's Twin Cities aimed primarily at undocumented Somalis.

Speaking to reporters in the White House Cabinet Room, Trump accused the Somali community — estimated at over 80,000 in Minnesota, the largest such diaspora in the U.S. — of "ripping off" the state for "billions of dollars" through welfare fraud while contributing nothing in return. "I don't want them in our country," he said. "Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks, and we don't want them in our country." He added that the U.S. is at a "tipping point" and risks going "the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage."

Trump, who has long fixated on Omar — a naturalized U.S. citizen who fled Somalia's civil war as a child — revived unsubstantiated allegations that she married her brother to secure citizenship, a claim she has repeatedly dismissed as "absurd and offensive." "Ilhan Omar is garbage. She's garbage," Trump said. "These aren't people that work. These are people that do nothing but complain." Omar responded on X, formerly Twitter: "His obsession with me is creepy. I hope he gets the help he desperately needs."

The outburst followed a New York Times report earlier Tuesday detailing an "intensive immigration enforcement operation" set to begin this week in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, deploying about 100 federal agents in "strike teams" to target hundreds of undocumented Somali immigrants with final deportation orders. While the operation could ensnare others seeking legal status, a Department of Homeland Security official emphasized that enforcement is based solely on immigration status, not race or ethnicity. "We do not discuss future or potential operations," Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.

Trump's comments amplified a burgeoning scandal over fraud in Minnesota's social services programs, where federal prosecutors have charged dozens — mostly Somali Americans — with siphoning over $1 billion in taxpayer funds through fake companies billing for nonexistent meals, housing, medical care and autism therapy over the past five years. The White House has labeled Minnesota a "hub of fraudulent money laundering activity," with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing Monday an investigation into whether funds were diverted to the Somalia-based terrorist group al-Shabaab.

Trump excoriated Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, Harris' 2024 running mate, as a "grossly incompetent man" with "something wrong with him," demanding his resignation and blaming him for tolerating the schemes out of fear of backlash. Walz defended the programs as designed to "improve people's lives," telling the Times that criminals exploit loopholes but the state is committed to prosecutions. In a statement, he called the ICE operation a "PR stunt" that "indiscriminately targets immigrants" rather than addressing crime. "We welcome support in investigating and prosecuting crime. But pulling a PR stunt ... is not a real solution," Walz posted on X.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter held a joint news conference Tuesday, vowing to stand with the Somali community and warning that the raids could lead to the wrongful detention of U.S. citizens. Frey said: "Mistakes will be made — and let's be clear — it means that American citizens will be detained for no other reason than the fact that they look like they are Somali." Community organizers reported at least two early detentions Tuesday morning, with fears of broader sweeps.

The episode reflects Trump's escalating second-term push on immigration, including ending temporary protected status for Somalis, pausing migration from "third-world countries" and reexamining green cards from nations like Somalia. Critics, including Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., accused him of "demonizing an entire group" to stoke division. Somali leaders highlighted the community's economic contributions, noting that nearly three-quarters are naturalized citizens who fled civil war in the 1990s.

The Cabinet meeting, Trump's ninth since January — matching former President Joe Biden's total over four years — otherwise focused on routine updates, with Trump touting 2025 as "the most consequential and successful first year of any administration."