Minneapolis, MN — December 2, 2025

At a tense joint press conference with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, Ward 6 City Council Member Jamal Osman issued a searing condemnation of President Donald Trump’s escalating rhetoric and the administration’s plan to deploy up to 100 ICE agents for mass deportation operations across the Twin Cities.

The press conference came just hours after Trump’s televised cabinet meeting, during which the president referred to Somali immigrants as “garbage” who “contribute nothing,” dismissed Somalia as “barely a country,” and mocked Rep. Ilhan Omar—calling her the same slurs he used to describe Minnesota’s broader Somali population. The comments follow the administration’s recent termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis and the ordering of a DHS review of all Somali green cards, citing alleged fraud tied to recent high-profile Minnesota prosecutions.

Osman, himself a Somali refugee who arrived in the United States as a child, delivered his remarks in both English and Somali, citing the fear gripping Minneapolis’s Somali community—the largest in the U.S.—as reports spread of imminent ICE raids.

“Our president is racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, and we’re going to fight that.”

Osman did not mince words.

“One of the things I do want to say—and obviously everyone knows that our president is racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, and we’re going to fight that.”

He then repeated the message in Somali, addressing families watching the broadcast from Cedar-Riverside, Seward, Phillips, and other heavily East African neighborhoods:

“I know many families are fearful tonight, but the City of Minneapolis stands behind you. Our president is racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic—and we are going to fight that.”

Osman said the community has “lived through fear in the past,” referencing memories of civil war, dictatorship, and refugee camps. He vowed that Somali Minnesotans would not be divided or intimidated and highlighted available legal, translation, and community-support resources.

City Leaders Echo Osman: “A Frightening Moment”

Mayor Frey was blunt:

“This is a frightening moment for immigrant families. These actions are not American.”

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter condemned Trump’s language:

“Calling entire communities ‘garbage’ is reprehensible. This isn’t leadership—it’s cruelty.”

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara reaffirmed that the Minneapolis Police Department will not participate in ICE civil enforcement and reminded residents that local officers cannot ask about immigration status under city policy.

Both cities reiterated their commitments to maintaining so-called “separation ordinances,” which limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities except in cases involving serious or violent crime.

A Community Under Pressure

Minnesota’s Somali population—estimated at 80,000 to 100,000—arrived largely in the early 1990s as refugees fleeing civil war. For decades, Minneapolis has been a national hub of Somali-American life, culture, and politics. But the community now faces unprecedented scrutiny amid:

Trump’s termination of TPS for Somalis nationwide

DHS orders to reexamine all Somali green cards

The looming deployment of ICE agents to the Twin Cities

A political firestorm over fraud prosecutions involving multiple Somali Minnesotans (totaling over $1 billion in misused social-services funds)

Intensified anti-Somali rhetoric online and from national politicians

Civil rights groups like CAIR-Minnesota call the administration’s actions “Islamophobic and retaliatory,” while supporters of the crackdown point to the fraud cases as justification for heightened enforcement.

Osman said tying the crimes of individuals to the entire Somali community was “racist on its face.”

Why Osman Spoke in Somali — and Why It Matters

Ward 6 is one of the most linguistically diverse areas in Minnesota, with thousands of residents whose primary language is Somali, Oromo, or Amharic. Osman’s bilingual delivery ensured his message reached elderly residents, recent arrivals, and families who rely on community media rather than mainstream coverage.

Leaders say this was essential, as panic spread rapidly through WhatsApp groups, mosques, community centers, and apartment buildings after Trump’s remarks.

The Bottom Line

Minneapolis and St. Paul are bracing for one of the largest ICE mobilizations in Minnesota in years—possibly the largest ever.
Somali families are preparing for middle-of-the-night knocks, workplace raids, and checkpoints.
Local leaders are preparing for fear, confusion, and potential unrest.

And Jamal Osman has positioned himself as one of the clearest voices of defiance:

“We’ve lived through fear before. We are not going anywhere.”