Washington, 3 December (H.S.): President Donald Trump unleashed a fiery tirade against Somali immigrants during a two-hour Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, labeling them garbage and declaring he wants none in the United States.

The remarks, delivered at the White House, coincide with preparations for a major Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation targeting undocumented Somalis in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, where the nation's largest Somali community—around 80,000 strong—resides.

Federal officials have mobilized roughly 100 officers nationwide for the effort, prioritizing individuals with final deportation orders while potentially sweeping up others seeking legal status.

Trump tied his rhetoric to recent events, including the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington by an Afghan national, broadening his critique to question immigrants' welfare dependency—claiming rates near 88%—and minimal societal contributions.

Escalating Attacks on Community Leaders

Trump singled out Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, a Somali refugee who arrived in the U.S. as a child, calling her and her associates garbage who should return to their origins.

He depicted Somalia as a lawless wasteland—no law, no water, no military, nothing—echoing his first-term travel bans on the nation among 19 others.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, seated beside Trump, affirmed ongoing strategies during the meeting, amid broader administration pushes like reexamining green cards from high-risk countries.

The outburst has drawn widespread condemnation from Somali leaders, Democratic lawmakers, and groups like Minnesota's Council on American-Islamic Relations, who urge tempered language amid fears of community-wide targeting.

This follows Trump's recent unsubstantiated claims of Somali gangs terrorizing Minnesota and funds allegedly funneled to al-Shabab militants. As the ICE raids loom this week, the episode underscores intensifying immigration enforcement under Trump's second term.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar