US President Donald Trump escalated his attack on Somali Americans on Thursday, accusing them of posing a threat to Minnesota and spreading violence and disorder there, while calling on state residents to take action and local authorities to request federal intervention. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Minnesota, “once a great state, is now under the control of Somali immigrants”.
Keith Ellison rejects Trump’s accusations against Somalis
He added that the state was experiencing “violence, murder and chaos” and urged its residents to combat what he described as the threat. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison responded to the president’s post, saying Somalis were “our neighbours, and they are part of Minnesota”. He stressed that the state he knew and loved was “much bigger than this bigotry”.
Between 221,000 and 259,000 people of Somali origin live in the United States, according to official statistics. The largest concentration is in Minnesota, particularly in the city of Minneapolis, where their number is estimated at about 108,000, equivalent to nearly one-fifth of the city’s population.
This population presence has helped give the community a political profile, reflected in the election of Ilhan Omar to represent a Minneapolis district, making her the first hijab-wearing woman in the history of the US Congress. Data from the American Community Survey issued by the Census Bureau indicate that the number of Somalis living in the country without legal status is extremely small.
The overwhelming majority entered the United States after 1990 through asylum applications, while about 92% are US citizens. The remainder live there with green cards or under special protection programmes. Trump’s post follows earlier remarks targeting Somali immigrants.
Earlier remarks and a corruption case fuel Trump’s attack
In December 2025, he attacked them after several were charged in a financial corruption case in Minnesota, saying he did not want them in the country and adding that the United States “will go down the wrong path if it continues to accept garbage”. Trump repeatedly referred to a case dating back to 2020 in which dozens of people were accused of embezzling millions of dollars from a federally funded child-feeding programme.
Several Somali Americans were among those charged in the case. In May, Amy Bock, who ran the non-profit organisation involved in the case and was not a Somali immigrant, was sentenced to 41 years in prison. The sentence came after she was convicted the previous year of being the mastermind behind the scheme. Trump used the case in his campaign against Minnesota, which is led by Democrats.
Arrest campaign and political dispute ahead of midterm elections
Earlier this year, the state saw an intensive campaign to arrest and deport immigrants, alongside measures aimed at restricting social service programmes. Democrats believe Trump’s rhetoric is intended to distract voters from the consequences of his policies as the November midterm elections draw closer.
Civil rights advocates also accuse the US president of adopting hostile rhetoric towards minorities and immigrants.
