Trump Somali Attacks are Part of a Larger Campaign against Arabs

posted on: Dec 10, 2025

Since President Trump’s initial introduction to politics, anti-immigration rhetoric has been a cornerstone of his campaign strategy. Trump’s first presidential campaign centered around a proposed border wall on the Mexico-US border. Trump’s second administration has centered around mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. Major cities have been targeted with ICE raids. The MAGA wing of the Republican Party has turned to Somalian-Americans as a new target in their nativist rhetoric. Much of this originates from Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. Ilhan Omar is an immigrant from Somalia who has been a vocal Trump critic and progressive politician. It is also part of a larger anti-Muslim, anti-Arab sentiment that has existed in not just right-wing politics but American politics in general. 

Trump refers to Somalians as “Garbage”

Just this past week, Trump referred to Somalians as “garbage”. He said that he does not want them in our country. The President tried to play off the comments as something that was a politically incorrect statement that needed to be said regardless. The shocking comments, uncoincidentally came right as it was reported that ICE was planning an operation in the Somalian immigrant communities in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. This proposed operation has been widely condemned among Democrats in the state with Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey saying that “due process would be violated”. A Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman denied that anyone would be racially profiled in the operation.

Minnesota Political Figures Respons

Ilhan Omar responded to Trump’s comments calling the president a “bigot”. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said on X that she “stands with them (Somali Community) against hateful attacks” and that the community are hard working American citizens like everyone else. 

History of Somalian Immigration to Minnesota

According to the American Community Survey, only 9 percent of Americans of Somali descent are not US citizens. A vast majority of those have the temporary legal status due to a history of immense political instability in Somalia. This is down from 76 percent back in 2001. 

Trump recently moved to end temporary protected status for Somalian immigrants. In the 1990’s legislation was passed to prevent deportation of certain communities in which the country of origin was suffering from conditions such as natural disasters, civil war, or imminent danger. Somalian immigration to the United States became significantly more widespread during the civil war in the 1990’s in which many came to work at meatpacking plants in the Twin Cities. It was an opportunity for a new start. Trump accused Governor Tim Walz of overseeing a state terrorized by Somali gangs.

Wider Anti-Arab Sentiment in the MAGA Movement

The shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC has also ramped up anti-Muslim rhetoric. The shooter was an Afghan national. It was revealed shortly after that the shooter had been working with the United States government during military operations in the country. He had been working with the CIA in opposition to the Taliban. This greatly complicates the initial argument among MAGA influencers that this happened because of a vetting failure. Before any further info came out, right-wing influencer Laura Loomer went on an anti-Muslim tirade on X. Eventually coming to the conclusion that we now “need a king”. 

Trump, in response to the shooting, expanded the travel ban that had initially covered 19 countries to 30 countries. Many of these countries are in the Arab world. 

Brief History of Nativism in the United States

Nativist rhetoric has been a political tool in the United States since its founding. Initially, White Anglo-Saxon Protestants were the definition of what it meant to be an American. Southern Europeans were seen as the other. Even Irish-Americans were subject to nativist rhetoric from the Protestant British majority. Catholicism was seen as incompatible with the country. When Irish and Italian-Americans assimilated, Eastern Europeans became the new group to restrict. The Quota Act of the 1921 restricted southern/eastern European immigration, and encouraged immigration from northern and western Europe. Asian immigration was also restricted. 

America has had and continues to have a reckoning on its identity. The experiment of trying to create a nation that is defined by ideology rather than an ethnic or religious identity. This experiment has had immense growing pains and continues to do so. But it is the secular, reason-based democracy that the enlightenment intended. America is not an ethnostate. 

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