Donald Trump on Tuesday called Somali immigrants “trash” and said they should be sent back home, as the administration is reportedly increasing immigration enforcement against undocumented Somalis in Minnesota.
Trump targeted Somalia’s representative and US citizen Ilhan Omar in xenophobic remarks during a Cabinet meeting. He said Somalia “stinks” and is “not good for some reason”.
“They don’t contribute anything. I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you,” he said. He called Omar “trash” and said, “If we keep taking trash into our country we are going down the wrong path”.
“These are people who do nothing but complain,” he said. “They complain, and where they came from they got nothing. … When they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but bitch, we don’t want them in our country. Let them go back where they came from and fix it.”
The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, where most Somalis live, will see an uptick in deportation efforts this week, focusing primarily on Somalis who have final deportation orders, The New York Times reported Tuesday. The Times reported that it would use “strike teams” of ICE agents and other federal officials, bringing together about 100 agents from across the country. Other media outlets, including the Associated Press, have confirmed this reporting.
The move comes after authorities took over several fraud cases over the years, involving dozens of Somali residents who prosecutors allege lied to the state to receive reimbursement for food delivery, medical care, housing and autism services. The Trump administration had previously threatened to revoke Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota, calling the state a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Besant also announced Monday that his agency would investigate whether Minnesotans’ taxpayer dollars were “directed to the terrorist organization al-Shabaab,” sharing a recent story from a right-wing outlet that made such claims.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other city leaders held a press conference Tuesday to respond to “credible reports” of increased enforcement. Frey said the city stands with the Somali community. Minneapolis police do not assist in immigration enforcement, and the police chief said the department does not receive advance notice of any operations.
“To our Somali community, we love you and we stand with you,” Frey said. “That commitment is very solid.”
Minneapolis is home to the largest Somali population in the country, with approximately 80,000 living in the state. Most are US citizens or legal residents.
“Targeting the Somali people means that due process will be violated, mistakes will be made and clearly it means that American citizens will not be detained for any reason other than looking Somali,” Frey said.
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