Ranking Member Betty McCollum Demands Answers in Letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent Wednesday evening, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D, MN-04) expressed outrage over the Administration's deliberate targeting of Minnesota's Somali community and demanded answers on the Department's actions in the Twin Cities Metro area. Read the full text of the letter below or view a copy of the letter on Congresswoman McCollum's website.

Dear Secretary Noem:

I write to express my outrage at the Trump Administration's deliberate targeting of the Somali community in Minnesota. The President's escalating racist attacks calling members of the Somali community "garbage" are vile, abhorrent and below the dignity of the Oval Office.

America has lived through very dark chapters when entire communities were treated as less than human. Native Americans were violently forced from their homes and onto reservations. Black Americans faced systemic dehumanization and were subjected to laws that codified their oppression. Chinese immigrants were rounded up during the era of exclusion. Japanese Americans were interned in camps against during World War II. Each of these actions became a stain on our history.

President Trump was wrong when he said members of our Somali-American community are "garbage." Our Somali community are human beings. They are elected officials, business owners, doctors, nurses, teachers, drivers, neighbors and friends. The Somali community is woven into the fabric of Minnesota and are inseparable from the fabric of America, and their contributions strengthen both our state and our nation.

As a Member of Congress representing many Somali families in Minnesota 4^th District, I strongly oppose the Department of Homeland Security's operations against the Somali community. I expect answers to the following questions no later than close of business on December 12, 2025.

• The vast majority of Minnesota's Somali community are U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents. How will you ensure that American citizens are not wrongly targeted, harassed or criminalized by the Department of Homeland Security?
• What justification and explanation can the Department of Homeland Security offer for these pending Enforcement and Removal Operations that only destabilize and erode the trust between law enforcement and communities?
• What safeguards has your office put in place for pending Enforcement and Removal Operations to prevent any violations of due process?
• How will you ensure that Department of Homeland Security operations do not harm or put people's lives in danger?

It is imperative that the Department of Homeland Security stop racially targeting the Somali community. This policy only instills fear and divisiveness in our country. Minnesotans and the American public deserve better.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Betty McCollum

Member of Congress

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