WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump has publicly stated his opposition to Somali immigration to the United states as his governance reportedly plans an increased ICE operation targeting the Somali community in Minnesota. The moves come amid a broader tightening of immigration policies following a recent shooting in Washington D.C. involving an Afghan immigrant.
Trump’s comments, echoing similar statements about Nigeria and South Africa, have drawn a measured response from Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, who indicated his government prefers to avoid escalating the issue, stating, “There are things you pass with ‘Salaaman’…making an issue out of it and giving it importance is more harmful than simply moving on.”
The planned ICE operation in Minnesota prompted immediate condemnation from local leaders. Minnesota State Senator Zaynab Mohamed asserted on X (formerly Twitter) that ICE agents “will find what we’ve been saying for years: Almost all of us are US citizens.” Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who ran as Kamala Harris’s vice presidential running mate in 2024, criticized the plan as a “PR stunt” and stated, “indiscriminately targeting immigrants is not a real solution to a problem.”
The developments follow the shooting last week in Washington D.C. where National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed and Andrew Wolfe, 24, was seriously injured. The suspect is alleged to have entered the US in 2021 through a program designed to assist Afghans who worked with US troops and were at risk after the US withdrawal.
In response, Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced plans to target visa fraud in Minnesota. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also announced an investigation into allegations of diverted tax dollars potentially funding the al-Shabab Islamist militant group in somalia, though these claims have been denied by the militants and stem from unverified media reports. Additionally, all US decisions on asylum requests have been halted pending review, and a review of previously issued green cards is underway. Trump has also threatened to “permanently pause migration” from countries he labels as “third world.”
Somalia experienced decades of civil war in the 1990s, leading many Somalis to migrate to the US.
