Former US President Donald Trump has issued a stark and cryptic warning, urging people to prepare for a "day of retribution" in Minnesota, as he vigorously defended a controversial surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents into the state.
Trump Doubles Down on ICE Tactics Amid Public Outcry
This alarming message comes despite widespread public revulsion over the reported tactics and actions employed by ICE officers in Minnesota. On Monday, 13 January 2026, Trump used his Truth Social platform to double down on the operation, which is primarily focused on the state's Somali American community.
In his post, Trump made a series of inflammatory claims about the targets of the enforcement action. He alleged the community harboured "thousands of already convicted murderers, drug dealers and addicts, rapists, violent released and escaped prisoners" and individuals from foreign mental institutions. He directly linked their presence to President Joe Biden's border policies.
"All the patriots of ICE want to do is remove them from your neighborhood and send them back to the prisons and mental institutions from where they came," Trump wrote, adding, "Most in foreign Countries who illegally entered the USA though Sleepy Joe Biden’s HORRIBLE Open Border’s Policy."
The Facts Behind the Minnesota Somali Community
However, an examination of the facts reveals a starkly different picture from the one painted by the former president. The Somali American community in Minnesota is overwhelmingly composed of US citizens, with approximately 95% holding citizenship either by birth or through naturalisation.
Detailed demographic analysis shows:
- Of the roughly 34,100 Minnesota residents of Somali heritage not born in the US, about 21,000 (62%) have lived in the country for more than a decade.
- Only an estimated 5,800 are non-citizens, and the vast majority of this group entered the country legally on visas or possess green cards.
- The best available data suggests there are fewer than 1,000 undocumented Somali migrants living in the entire state.
This context makes the scale of the ICE deployment particularly striking. Reports indicate the Trump administration has sent around 3,000 ICE agents to Minnesota. When set against the estimated number of potential undocumented individuals, this equates to roughly three federal agents for every one person they could potentially seek to deport.
A Chilling Warning and Political Accusations
Trump's social media post extended beyond defence of ICE to level accusations at local Democratic politicians. He claimed that "Minnesota Democrats love the unrest" caused by agitators, suggesting it distracted from other issues.
He concluded with an all-caps warning that has stirred considerable alarm: "FEAR NOT, GREAT PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA, THE DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING!"
This rhetoric and the significant deployment of federal enforcement resources against a predominantly lawful, long-established community has ignited fierce debate. It raises profound questions about the use of immigration agencies, the targeting of specific ethnic groups, and the impact of such language from a leading political figure on public safety and social cohesion.
