Protesters gathered outside of a Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport facility that services deportation flights Wednesday to denounce President Donald Trump’s recent statements disparaging Somali people.

Trump on Tuesday said he did not want Somalis in the U.S. and claimed they contribute nothing. The president spoke soon after a person familiar with the planning said federal authorities are preparing a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota that would primarily focus on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the U.S.

An estimated 260,000 people of Somali descent were living in the U.S. in 2024, according to the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey. The largest population is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, home to about 84,000 residents, most of whom are American citizens. Ohio, Washington and California also have significant populations.

Almost 58% of the Somalis in Minnesota were born in the U.S. Of the foreign-born Somalis in Minnesota, an overwhelming majority –- 87% — are naturalized U.S. citizens. Of the foreign-born population, almost half entered the U.S. in 2010 or later, according to the Census Bureau.

They include many who fled the long civil war in their east African country and were drawn to the state’s welcoming social programs.

Said Mohamed, a driver for Uber and Lyft, said Trump’s comments were an attempt to pit Americans against each other.

“They really feel real disgusting that he's dividing us by Somalis, you know, Mexicans, Asians, Black, white. And that's not what America is about,” he said.

Last month, Trump said he was terminating Temporary Protected Status for Somali migrants in Minnesota, a legal safeguard against deportation. A report produced for Congress in August put the number of Somalis covered by the program at just 705 nationwide.

The announcement drew immediate pushback from some state leaders and immigration experts, who characterized Trump’s declaration as a legally dubious effort to sow fear and suspicion.