On Wednesday, President Donald Trump targeted Somali immigrants and Rep. Ilhan Omar during a Cabinet meeting, repeating false and inflammatory claims about the Minnesota community as his administration continued a broader immigration crackdown. Trump labeled Somali immigrants as “crooks” and singled out Omar, a Minnesota Democrat and Somali American, according to NBC News.

“The Somalians, what they’ve done to Minnesota, the Somalians, crooked as hell. Ilhan Omar, crooked as hell,” he said. “They’re all crooks, and we got them, we got them. Now we’re putting the clamps on,” Trump said.

The remarks come after months of escalating attacks on Somalis in the U.S., particularly in Minnesota, home to the country’s largest Somali population. Trump has repeatedly framed the community as being a part of a fraud problem, while linking it to his push to end protections for Somali migrants and intensify enforcement in the state.

Somali Americans have built a visible political and civic presence in Minnesota over the decades. Reuters reported in January that immigration raids and federal pressure were already fueling fear among residents, with some local leaders accusing the White House of using enforcement to intimidate a politically active community.

The rhetoric also comes as Trump has sharpened his attacks on Omar, who has often been a target of his criticism. Reuters reported in December that he called her “garbage” and said he wanted Somalis out of the country. 

Many fear that the language could deepen anxiety in Somali neighborhoods and normalize broader hostility toward immigrants.

"The president has always had very bigoted, xenophobic, Islamophobic comments when it comes to people who are of Muslim faith or people who are Black,” Omar said to the outlet in December. “We've seen him call African nations as shitholes, and so it's not really surprising.”