Former US President Donald Trump has issued a stark and cryptic warning of a coming "day of retribution" for Minnesota, as he vigorously defends a massive surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents into the state.
Trump Doubles Down Amid Widespread Condemnation
Despite facing a significant wave of public revulsion over the tactics employed by ICE officers in Minnesota, Trump has emphatically doubled down on the operation. The campaign is focused on the state's sizable Somali American population. Approximately 95% of Somali Americans in Minnesota are US citizens, having gained citizenship either through birth or the naturalisation process.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on January 13, 2026, Trump made a series of inflammatory claims about the community. He questioned whether Minnesotans wished to live among "thousands of already convicted murderers, drug dealers and addicts, rapists, violent released and escaped prisoners," and "dangerous people from foreign mental institutions."
The Stark Reality Behind the Rhetoric
The factual landscape starkly contradicts the former President's allegations. Official data reveals that of the roughly 34,100 Minnesota residents of Somali heritage not born in the US, about 21,000 (62%) have been living in the country for more than ten years. The number of non-citizens within this community is around 5,800, with the overwhelming majority holding legal status via visas or green cards.
The best estimates suggest there are fewer than 1,000 undocumented Somali migrants in the entire state of Minnesota. This figure casts a glaring light on the scale of the ICE deployment. Reports indicate the Trump administration has sent approximately 3,000 agents to Minnesota, a ratio that equates to roughly three officers for every one person potentially subject to deportation.
A Chilling Warning and Political Accusations
Trump continued his social media post by defending ICE agents as "patriots" seeking to remove individuals he claimed entered under President Joe Biden's "HORRIBLE Open Border's Policy." He drew comparisons to operations in Chicago, alleging crime reduction despite political opposition.
The message culminated in a chilling, all-caps declaration: "FEAR NOT, GREAT PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA, THE DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING!" This alarming statement has intensified fears within the targeted community and drawn further criticism from civil rights advocates and political opponents, who condemn the operation as a heavy-handed and discriminatory misuse of federal resources.
The situation continues to develop amidst growing protests and legal challenges against the ICE tactics in Minnesota, setting the stage for a significant constitutional and political clash.
