WASHINGTON, D.C. – In highly hostile and openly racist remarks directed at immigrants of Somali origin, President Trump said during a lengthy administration meeting on Tuesday that he does not want any more Somali immigrants in the United States, claiming Somali Americans “do not contribute anything” and that “about 88 percent of them live on government assistance.”

I don’t want them in our country — let them go back to where they came from. – President Trump

Trump said that people from the East African nation rely heavily on the American social safety net and “add little to the United States.”

He added disdainfully, “They complain and do nothing but gripe… I don’t want them in our country.”

Trump blamed Somalis for the dire conditions in their homeland, which has suffered decades of war and instability.

“Their country is not good for a reason… your country stinks, and we don’t want them here. Let them go back to where they came from,” he said.

Trump’s comments came just days after his administration announced a suspension of all asylum decisions following a shooting that killed a National Guard soldier and wounded another in Washington, D.C.

Although the suspect in that attack was Afghan, Trump used the incident to raise broader questions about immigrants from other countries, including Somalia.

We will be moving in the wrong direction if we continue bringing garbage into our country. – President Trump

“We are at a turning point,” Trump said during the meeting. “We can move in one direction or the other, and we will be moving in the wrong direction if we continue bringing garbage into our country.”

His words were a direct attack on  U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who was born in Somalia.

He continued, calling Omar and her allies “garbage.”

“Let them go back to where they came from and fix it,” he said.

In related reporting, the Associated Press quoted sources inside the Trump administration saying that the White House has instructed immigration and border agencies to target Somali immigrants in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota.

A source told the AP that the operation could begin in the coming days and is expected to target hundreds of immigrants who already have final deportation orders.

The Minneapolis–Saint Paul region — known as the “Twin Cities” — is the state’s main metropolitan hub and home to the largest Somali community in the United States. The Somali American population there is estimated at approximately 80,000, according to Minnesota Compass, a research initiative run by the Wilder Foundation.

Federal agencies were instructed to “target Somali immigrants” in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, according to AP sources.

The community’s strong electoral presence has long been considered a reliable advantage for Democrats in the northern state, and observers believe this political influence is the real reason behind Trump’s escalating rhetoric against Somali immigrants.

In a Truth Social post on Thanksgiving, Trump accused Somali immigrants in Minnesota of “completely taking over a state that used to be great.”

In late November, Trump terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis in Minnesota, claiming that “Somali gangs terrorize residents of that great state” and insisting the move was part of broader crime-fighting efforts.

Trump’s latest attacks coincide with a widening scandal in Minnesota, where prosecutors allege that more than $1 billion in taxpayer funds intended for social services were stolen — much of it through fraudulent billing connected to individuals of Somali origin.

Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Monday that the department is investigating whether any Minnesota taxpayer dollars were funneled to al-Shabaab, an extremist organization designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaeda and based in Somalia.