'Send Ilhan Omar back to Somalia’: Trump alleges massive fraud in Minnesota

Send Ilhan Omar back to Somalia’: Trump alleges massive fraud in Minnesota

US President Donald Trump on Saturday escalated his attacks on Minnesota, claiming that alleged theft and fraud in the state far exceeded earlier estimates of $19 billion and accusing the previous Biden administration of being aware of the problem while failing to act.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump singled out Democratic lawmaker Ilhan Omar, branding her a “scammer” and saying she and others should be jailed or “sent back to Somalia”. He also criticised Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, describing him as either “corrupt” or “incompetent” for what he alleged was a failure to prevent large-scale fraud.

The remarks are the latest in a series of attacks by the US President on Somali immigrants, whom he has accused in recent weeks of widespread public benefit fraud in Minnesota. The state is home to the largest Somali community in the United States, numbering around 80,000 people.

Omar, who has frequently been targeted by Trump, had earlier called for the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after immigration agents killed two US citizens within weeks of each other. Last week, Omar herself was targeted during a public appearance when a 55-year-old man, identified as Anthony Kazmierczak, allegedly sprayed an unidentified liquid at her from a syringe before being restrained by security guards.

An AFP report from December said federal charges had been filed against 98 people accused of embezzling public funds. Attorney General Pam Bondi noted last month that at least 85 of those charged were “of Somali descent”. According to prosecutors, 57 people have already been convicted in a scheme that diverted around $300 million in public grants intended to provide free meals for children — meals that prosecutors say never existed.

Republican officials and federal prosecutors have accused local Democratic authorities of ignoring repeated warnings because the alleged fraud involved Minnesota’s Somali community. Kristin Robbins, a Republican state representative running for governor, told AFP: “When whistleblowers raised concerns, they were told that they shouldn’t say anything out of fear of being called racist or Islamophobic, or because it was going to hurt the political constituency of the governor and the ruling party, the Democrats here.”

The controversy has unfolded alongside an intensification of federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. Trump has deployed heavily armed, masked agents into the city, following tactics previously used in Los Angeles and Chicago, moves that have sparked strong local opposition.

Aggressive raids at bus stops and outside hardware stores have led to the arrest of thousands of undocumented migrants, officials say, along with some US citizens. The Democratic-leaning city of around 400,000 people is now locked in a growing standoff with Washington over the sweeps.

In less than a month, federal agents have shot an undocumented Venezuelan man in the leg and detained a five-year-old Ecuadoran boy, Liam Ramos. Two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were also shot dead. Administration officials initially described both as domestic terrorists, claims that were later challenged by witness footage.

The unfolding situation has fuelled sharp political tensions, as allegations of fraud, immigration enforcement and the use of force collide in one of America’s most closely watched domestic flashpoints.