President Donald Trump is facing mounting backlash after issuing a sweeping and incendiary call for mass arrests targeting Minnesota’s Somali community, comments that came just one day after a 37-year-old U.S. citizen was fatally shot by a federal immigration agent during enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
Critics say the timing and tone of the president’s remarks suggest an attempt to redirect public attention away from the killing and toward an already-targeted immigrant population.
In an early-morning post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Arrest them all. They are criminals!!!” The post linked to a story published by the right-wing outlet Just the News, which focused on cash transfers to Somalia allegedly carried through the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport.
The article cited Homeland Security statistics claiming that the amount of cash transported overseas by Somali couriers from that airport was between 10 and 100 times higher than similar transfers at other major U.S. airports over the past two years. The report described this activity as “substantially abnormal” and argued that it should have raised alarms during the Biden administration.
Trump amplified those claims without acknowledging that the cash-transfer allegations, even if accurate, do not implicate an entire ethnic community, nor do they relate directly to violent crime. Civil rights advocates say the president’s framing painted all Somali Minnesotans as criminals and fueled collective blame, despite the lack of evidence tying the community as a whole to wrongdoing.
The remarks came just one day after Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis resident and U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by an ICE agent sent to the city as part of stepped-up immigration raids. Minneapolis is home to the largest Somali community in the United States, and the killing has sparked grief, anger, and renewed questions about the use of force by federal immigration authorities.
Community leaders and local officials have called for transparency and accountability in the shooting, saying the focus should remain on the loss of life and the circumstances surrounding it.
Instead, critics argue, Trump used the moment to escalate rhetoric against Somali Americans, a group he has repeatedly attacked in recent months. The president has previously referred to Somalia in deeply derogatory terms, describing the country as “filthy” and “crime-ridden,” and has used dehumanizing language when speaking about people of Somali descent.
Those comments have been widely condemned by human rights groups, faith leaders, and elected officials, who warn that such language increases the risk of harassment and violence against Somali Americans.
The latest escalation follows a broader narrative that began circulating within pro-Trump media circles late last year. In December, a pro-Trump content creator released a video alleging widespread fraud involving Somali-run daycare centers in Minnesota, claiming they had received millions of dollars in government funding while providing little or no services. While the allegations were not backed by verified evidence, the video spread rapidly across conservative platforms and social media.
Prominent Trump allies soon amplified the claims, including Vice President JD Vance and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, lending them further visibility and legitimacy among MAGA supporters. The controversy intensified when FBI Director Kash Patel announced that additional investigative resources would be redirected to Minnesota to examine the allegations, a move critics described as politically charged and potentially stigmatizing to an entire community.
Advocacy groups say the pattern is familiar: unproven or narrowly scoped claims are elevated to justify broad suspicion, while inflammatory rhetoric from the highest levels of government normalizes hostility toward minority groups. They warn that Trump’s latest call for mass arrests risks emboldening extremists and deepening fear among Somali families who are U.S. citizens, legal residents, and long-standing members of Minnesota communities.
Observers also note that Trump’s post made no reference to the woman killed by the ICE agent, nor did it express condolences or concern for her family. For many critics, that silence underscores what they see as a deliberate effort to change the subject and rally political support through outrage rather than accountability.
At the time of publication, The Daily Beast reported that it had reached out to the White House for comment regarding Trump’s remarks and the shooting, but no response had been provided.
