By Abdalle Ahmed Mumin
President Donald Trump’s recent derogatory remarks targeting the Somali community in the United States shocked the world and sparked widespread discussion.
Trump accused Somalis of contributing “nothing” and declared that he does not “want them in our country”.
Let me be clear: We, the Somali community, are not “garbage”, nor are we fraudulent. We are hardworking people. Many of us as immigrants have made meaningful contributions to our communities.
Personally, I am proud to have been welcomed in the United Kingdom – which I now call home – after fleeing persecution in Somalia.
Even in the UK, debates around immigration have persisted for decades. But when rhetoric turns hostile and dehumanising, as it has in Trump’s remarks, the consequences can escalate dangerously.
I spoke with members of the Somali community in Minnesota – a state Trump singled out during his recent White House speech – where fear and anxiety are now widespread among both refugees and US citizens.
“I have not left my home in the past two days,” Yusuf Shire, a Somali journalist who sought safety in the US, told me. “Since Trump made his comments about the Somali people, there were Immigration and Citizenship Enforcement [ICE] officers on the streets, sometimes knocking on doors.
We are scared.
Shire, like many others, came to the US seeking protection under international law – a right that every person deserves, regardless of origin, appearance, or religion.
Yet, Somalis across the US are now feeling unsafe, fearing harassing ICE raids and a souring of community relations.
“Trump created tension for us. We are looked at differently. Even when I go to the supermarket, I feel different,” said Ismail Mohamed from Virginia. He recounted that hours after Trump’s statement, family members returning from Europe were stopped and questioned at the airport. “People stopped going to shopping malls, especially those with green cards or temporary legal protections,” he added.
“Since Trump made his comments about the Somali people, there were Immigration and Citizenship Enforcement [ICE] officers on the streets, sometimes knocking on doors. We are scared.”
Trump has since announced the immediate termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali migrants in Minnesota. Nationwide, 705 Somali migrants hold TPS, many of them living in
Minnesota.
According to the 2024 Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, an estimated 260,000 Somali-Americans live in the US, most of whom are citizens. In Minnesota, 58% of Somali residents are US-born, while 87% of the foreign-born Somalis are naturalised citizens.
It is understandable that when the most powerful leader in the world publicly attacks a whole community, fear and uncertainty spread.
“This will be an issue that remains even after Trump. The damage done will forever stay,” said Farah Ahmed, a Somali-American businessman in Minnesota. Ahmed explained that he had voted for Trump in 2024, hoping for more job creation and lower inflation: “But sadly, we are now under attack by the president we supported.”
We deserve respect, and safety
I share Ahmed’s perspective. President Trump had an opportunity to use his office to foster a world of peace and inclusion; he chose division and hostility instead. Somalis fled their country due to violence and insecurity, seeking safety and protection under international law – a right guaranteed to all.
Under Trump, those hopes are evaporating as we become targets.
The US has always been a land of immigration, and this is something Americans should take pride in.
Trump himself is the descendant of immigrants. His grandfather, Friedrich Trump, emigrated from Germany to the US in 1885 seeking economic opportunity. His mother – a Scottish Gaelic-speaker from the Outer Hebrides – was looking to escape poverty when she arrived in the US as a domestic worker in the 1930s.
And let’s not forget Trump’s wife Melania. She came to the US in 1996 – and may initially have worked illegally – but is now the First Lady.
Somalis are an entrepreneurial people, giving back to the societies that take us in – from Kenya, to Sweden, to the UK. Conservatives in America have seized on criminal investigations into fraud in Minnesota’s social services – allegedly committed by a handful of Somalis – to condemn an entire community.
We should also remember that Trump’s attacks have not been limited to Somalis: Afghans and other immigrant communities have also been the victims of his insulting rhetoric. Meanwhile, he has campaigned for the admission of white South Africans, citing an unsubstantiated claim of “white genocide”.
These statements reveal Islamophobic, xenophobic, and racist attitudes.
Ignoring international law and publicly demonising entire communities for political gain is dangerous – not only for the people targeted, but for the values of democracy itself.
The Somali community, like all immigrant communities, deserves respect, safety, and recognition of the contributions we make to the countries that welcome us.
This opinion piece was first published by the New Humanitarian