US President Donald Trump has stated he does not want Somali immigrants in the US, telling reporters they should go back to where they came from and their country is no good for a reason.
I don't want them in our country, I'll be honest with you, he said during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Trump stated that the US would go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country.
His disparaging comments came as immigration authorities were reported to be planning an enforcement operation in Minnesota's large Somali community.
Officials in the state have condemned the plan, arguing it could unfairly sweep up American citizens who may appear to be from the East African nation.
Minneapolis and St Paul, which together are known as the Twin Cities, are home to one of the largest Somali communities in the world and the largest in the US.
In his comments on Tuesday, Trump said: With Somalia, which is barely a country, you know, they have no, they have no anything. They just run around killing each other. There's no structure.
He then criticized Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat and the first Somali-American elected to Congress, stating: I always watch her, adding that Omar hates everybody.
Trump's comments have faced backlash, with Omar responding on social media, calling his obsession with her creepy and hoping he gets the help he needs.
Reports indicate that ICE has been directed by the Trump administration to target undocumented Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities, potentially affecting hundreds of individuals when the operation begins this week.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on planned operations, stating, What makes someone a target of ICE is not their race or ethnicity, but the fact that they are in the country illegally.
Local leaders emphasize that the majority of the 80,000 residents from Somalia in Minnesota are American citizens, and condemn the targeted approach as a violation of due process.
These operations come amidst an intensified immigration crackdown following a shooting incident involving National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota urged that indiscriminate targeting of immigrants is not a real solution, emphasizing the need for proper investigations without harming communities.
