Trump Urges Somali Immigrants to Leave U.S.; Somalia Context

(SOMALIA) Former President Donald Trump’s call for Somali immigrants in the United States 🇺🇸 to “leave” has sent a wave of fear and anger through Somali communities, even as conditions in Somalia remain harsh and unstable heading into 2026. His latest remarks, echoing earlier hardline positions on refugees and Muslims, land at a time when millions in Somalia face drought, conflict, and political turmoil, raising sharp questions about what a return would mean in real life for those who fled.

Political context and governance

Somalia, a country of more than 18 million people, continues to struggle with weak state institutions and bitter political disputes. The federal government in Mogadishu is preparing for national elections in 2026, but key federal member states — including Puntland and Jubaland — have suspended cooperation with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration. They accuse him of centralizing power, while many clan leaders dispute how political power should be shared.

For Somali immigrants hearing Trump’s words, the prospect of being pushed back into a fragile political landscape feels not just unfair, but dangerous.

Security situation

Security in Somalia remains deeply unstable.

• The Islamist militant group Al‑Shabaab, linked to al‑Qaida, still controls large parts of central and southern Somalia.
• The group has stepped up suicide bombings and assassinations, and hundreds of civilians have been killed in recent attacks, according to human rights reports.
• The Somali National Armed Forces continue operations targeting senior Al‑Shabaab figures, but the group has demonstrated the ability to strike busy markets, government buildings, and areas previously considered safer.

For many immigrants who fled after surviving such attacks, being pushed back into this environment is a frightening prospect.

Humanitarian crisis: drought and displacement

Somalia is in the middle of a severe humanitarian emergency. A deep drought, officially declared an emergency in November 2025, has devastated crops and livestock.

Key humanitarian statistics:

Displacement camps around Mogadishu and other regions are growing as families flee parched farmland and conflict‑hit villages. In these crowded settlements, food, clean water, and medical care are in short supply.

Daily life in displacement and human-rights concerns

The combination of drought and conflict has forced hundreds of thousands to leave their homes within Somalia.

• People in camps report long walks for unsafe water, armed checkpoints nearby, and a constant risk of gender‑based violence.
• Human rights groups report widespread sexual violence, carried out not only by Al‑Shabaab fighters but also by security forces and clan militias.
• Military courts continue to hand down death sentences, including for those accused of Al‑Shabaab ties, in trials that lawyers say often fall short of international fair‑trial standards.

These conditions are central for asylum officers and immigration judges in the United States when reviewing claims by Somali immigrants who say they cannot safely return.

Economy and development

Somalia remains one of the least developed countries in the world. The economy relies heavily on:

• Livestock exports
• Remittances from the Somali diaspora
• A fast‑growing telecommunications sector

Officials point to reforms and a National Transformation Plan (2025–2029) as signs of progress, but growth is fragile and vulnerable to external shocks. Cuts in foreign aid have reduced food-support programs and slowed private consumption.

For Somali families abroad (in cities such as Minneapolis, Columbus, or Seattle), Trump’s message raises fears about both their own futures and the relatives in Somalia who depend on remittances.

Demographics, coastlines, and social fabric

• Somalia is overwhelmingly ethnic Somali — around 85% of the population — and predominantly Sunni Muslim.
• Mogadishu, the capital, houses roughly 2.7 million people and has been rebuilt slowly from decades of civil war, but it remains heavily guarded with blast walls and checkpoints.
• The long coastline along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean once supported trade and fishing jobs. Today, issues such as piracy, illegal fishing by foreign fleets, and climate‑driven changes in the sea have severely affected livelihoods.

For many young Somalis who once hoped to rebuild the country, staying often feels like accepting a future with few real options.

Legal realities in the United States

In the U.S., Somali immigrants — whether refugees, family reunification arrivals, or undocumented — hear political rhetoric through the lens of Somalia’s ongoing crisis.

• Political statements do not change immigration law by themselves. Legal status continues to depend on existing statutes and policies.
• People seeking asylum from Somalia generally must file Form I‑589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, available at: USCIS Form I‑589.
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services explains the broader framework for refugees and asylum seekers at: Refugees and Asylum.

Despite the law, Somali community leaders note that words from national figures matter — especially when they single out a group. Over the past decade, Somali neighborhoods in places like Minnesota and Ohio have experienced surveillance, security raids, and intense scrutiny following isolated terror cases. Many families who fled Al‑Shabaab or clan violence find themselves broadly stigmatized.

Asylum claims, removals, and enforcement concerns

Immigration lawyers say Somalia’s conditions — the combination of ongoing conflict, severe drought, weak institutions, and human rights abuses — are often central to asylum claims and removal decisions.

• For some Somali immigrants with final orders of removal, actual deportation has been rare or delayed because of the United States’ limited capacity and the dangerous country conditions.
• Trump’s rhetorical push for them to leave raises questions about whether a future administration might attempt to increase removals to a country still facing war‑like conditions.

At the same time, some U.S. officials argue Somalia has made enough progress — citing reforms, international support for the Somali National Army, and development plans — to receive more returnees. Critics say that narrative overlooks ongoing bombings in Mogadishu, regional clan tensions, and the humanitarian crisis in rural areas.

Human stories and identity

Behind each policy debate are human stories:

• Many Somali immigrants in the U.S. fled as children and have few memories of Somalia beyond family stories.
• Some were born in refugee camps in Kenya before resettling in the U.S. and may lack direct links to land or property in Somalia.
• Returning could mean facing language dialects they do not speak well, tight clan structures they do not fit into, and a job market with very high unemployment.

For younger Somali Americans, Trump’s demand that Somali immigrants leave clashes with identities formed in U.S. schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods.

“When Trump calls for Somali immigrants to leave, it revives old fears — even among U.S. citizens of Somali origin who cannot legally be forced out.”

What this means going forward

• For now, legal rules govern whether Somali immigrants can stay or must depart — not political speeches.
• Still, Trump’s comments thrust Somalia and its diaspora back into the center of America’s heated immigration debate.
• With Somalia heading into a tense election season, drought deepening hunger, and Al‑Shabaab still active, the stakes for those who left — and for those who might one day be told to return — remain painfully high.