White House border czar Tom Homan on Sunday strongly defended President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota, stating he agrees “100 percent” with the president’s approach despite Trump’s description of Somali immigrants as “garbage” that should be sent back to their country of origin.
Homan insisted the operations target public safety and national security threats, not personal animus.
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Homan said he was unaware of Trump’s exact thinking behind the inflammatory language but emphasized that the administration is carrying out “the biggest deportation operation this country has ever seen.”
He described Minnesota as hosting a “large illegal Somali community” and a broader “large illegal alien community,” claiming ICE will arrest every illegal immigrant encountered there.
Homan provided no specific evidence for the scale of illegal Somali presence and rejected suggestions that agents are profiling based on appearance or using overly aggressive tactics.
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who was born in Somalia and has been personally attacked by Trump, called the president’s comments “completely disgusting” and accused him of an “unhealthy obsession” with the Somali community.
Even some Republicans expressed concern about the operations are sowing unnecessary fear.
Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) criticized a lack of transparency and compassion, saying ICE should work with local leaders to remove dangerous individuals while ensuring citizens feel safe.
Minneapolis officials note that the vast majority of the state’s roughly 80,000 Somalis are U.S. citizens or legal residents, many having arrived as refugees fleeing Somalia’s civil war.