On November 24, 2025, at a charged rally inside the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) delivered one of her most forceful defenses of her Somali-American base to date. With the political temperature rising over President Donald Trump’s move to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals — a decision affecting a few hundred Minnesota residents but symbolically massive — Omar framed Somalis not as newcomers or guests, but as foundational threads in the American story.

Her key line:

“Somalis are not terrorizing this nation. We are helping it thrive. Somalis have always seen themselves as a fabric of this nation.”

She added:

“We’re not going anywhere.”

The speech landed like an earthquake.

To her critics, the “always” claim was historical revisionism bordering on delusion. To her supporters, it was an act of existential affirmation in a moment of political targeting. And to millions of Americans watching online, the clash highlighted a much deeper battle over immigration, identity, and the meaning of belonging in 21st-century America.

THE BACKLASH: “MASS DEPORTATIONS MUST ENSUE”

Conservative outrage exploded immediately.

Right-leaning outlets like The Western Journal labeled Omar’s remarks a “gross exaggeration,” arguing that a community that arrived en masse in the 1990s cannot claim to have “always” been part of the U.S. fabric.

On X (formerly Twitter):

@EricLDaugh: “MASS DEPORTATIONS must ensue among Somalis in Minnesota, starting with Ilhan Omar!”

@amuse: “ISLAMIFICATION: Ilhan Omar says Somalis ‘have always been a fabric of this nation.’”

Libs of TikTok amplified the clip to half a million views within hours, unleashing a wave of Islamophobic memes and calls for Omar’s removal from Congress.

The sentiment was overwhelmingly negative in right-wing circles — with some posts getting thousands of reposts saying “Send her home,” “She’s delusional,” and “Global free-for-all.”

THE CONTEXT: A COMMUNITY UNDER FIRE

Omar’s comments did not come in a vacuum.

Trump had just issued a Truth Social proclamation announcing:

Immediate termination of TPS for Somali nationals

Claims that Somalis are “taking over” Minnesota

Allegations of “Somali gangs,” “fraud rings,” and “billions missing”

This rhetoric came on the heels of real, high-profile Minnesota scandals:

The Feeding Our Future scheme ($250+ million embezzled)

Medicaid autism therapy fraud

Housing support fraud

Federal suspicions that some funds flowed through hawala networks that may have indirectly reached extremist groups like al-Shabaab
(though the terrorism-financing claims remain unproven and contested)

Omar’s speech was clearly intended as a counterpunch: don’t blame an entire diaspora for the crimes of dozens.

But to critics, it sounded like deflection.

A TIMELINE OF SOMALI IMMIGRATION: DOES “ALWAYS” HOLD UP?

Here’s the factual record, drawing on Minnesota Historical Society and Census data.

1920s — The First Trickles

Somali sailors from British Somaliland quietly arrived in New York and Philadelphia.

Estimated population: 100–200 men.

No community formation, no generational continuity.

1960s–1980s — Students and Diplomats

Small numbers arrived on student visas or diplomatic assignments.

By 1990, total Somali population in the U.S.: ~2,500.

1991–1995 — The Civil War Wave

The fall of dictator Siad Barre triggered mass displacement.

U.S. resettlement began in earnest.

First major refugee cohorts arrive in Minnesota, Ohio, Washington.

1995–2010 — Peak Migration

Roughly 55,000 refugees admitted.

Minnesota becomes the epicenter, topping 80,000 Somalis by the late 2000s.

2010–2025 — Stabilization and Naturalization

Today’s Somali-American population: 169,000–221,000 nationwide.

Minnesota: ~64,000.

Second and third generations coming of age.

Major political milestones (e.g., Omar’s 2018 congressional win).

Expanding business ownership, civic participation — and yes, controversies.

Conclusion: The literal “always” claim is not historically accurate.
Somalis have been in the U.S. for under 100 years — and more than 95% arrived after 1990.

But America’s civic identity includes many communities who made the exact same leap:

Irish (1840s)

Italians (1900s)

Jews (1880–1924)

Hmong (1970s–80s)

Latinos (20th century)

Everywave, at its beginning, is told it does not belong.

WHY OMAR’S WORDS HIT A NERVE — ON BOTH SIDES

Supporters

To many in the Somali-American community:

“Always” meant always since we arrived.

A declaration against scapegoating and erasure.

A rejection of being treated as temporary guests.

Thirty years is long enough to build:

City councils

Multi-million-dollar businesses

Mosques, newspapers, trucking fleets

A congressional seat

A generational presence (“Little Mogadishu”)

Critics

To detractors:

Omar’s rhetoric obscures fraud, dysfunction, and integration challenges.

The claim of “always” sounds like entitlement, not assimilation.

Fraud scandals have poisoned goodwill.

Some see her comments as an attempt to override American identity.

THE REALITY: BOTH MESSAGES WERE POLITICAL

Omar’s “fabric of this nation” is rhetoric — meant to unify her base and push back on Trump’s immigrant-targeting narrative.

Trump’s Somali crackdown is also rhetoric — playing to voters furious about welfare fraud, cultural clashes, and political correctness in Minnesota.

Both sides are speaking to fear:

Omar to the fear of expulsion and scapegoating.

Trump to the fear of cultural displacement and public fraud.

THE BOTTOM LINE: IDENTITY, NOT IMMIGRATION, IS THE REAL BATTLE

Ilhan Omar’s words were not a history lesson. They were a political identity claim:

“We belong here. We are part of America’s story. We help it thrive.”

Her critics respond with their own identity claim:

“No — we built this country. You don’t get to rewrite that.”

In the end, the fight isn’t about TPS or the 1990s or the 1920s.
It’s about who gets to define America in 2025 — and whose voices matter in shaping its future.