Trump is increasing anti-immigrant rhetoric from 'criminals' to 'garbage'

Following last weeks shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., U.S. President Donald Trump and key officials in his administration have sharply increased their hostile rhetoric toward immigrants. The suspected shooter, an Afghan man, arrived in the U.S. in 2021 under a Biden-era evacuation program and later received asylum during the Trump administration.

Trump has made broad statements about Afghan immigrants, claiming there have been many problems with Afghans and labeling Somali immigrants as garbage, adding that their country stinks. Critics have described the remarks as dehumanizing and alarming.

Just hours after the attack, Trump called for a review of all Afghan arrivals under Biden: We must re-examine every single alien from Afghanistan who has entered our country under Biden. Republican figures echoed this stance. Senator JD Vance said justice must be served and called for stricter deportation efforts, while Senator Tommy Tuberville and Congressman Chip Roy urged bans and deportations targeting Islamic immigrants.

In response, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services suspended all immigration requests for Afghan nationals pending security reviews. Over the Thanksgiving period, Trump promised to revoke citizenship from immigrants who undermine domestic tranquility, halt migration from all third-world countries, and deport individuals considered incompatible with Western values.

Trump also targeted Somali immigrants, citing alleged issues in Minnesotas Somali community. He singled out Representative Ilhan Omar, claiming she had probably entered the U.S. illegally and criticizing her attire. During a cabinet meeting, he described Somali immigrants as garbage who contribute nothing and stated, Their country is no good for a reason. Their country stinks. We dont want them in our country.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the remarks an epic moment, while Omar condemned them as vile. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem supported a travel ban on countries she said flooded our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.

The administration has also imposed further immigration restrictions, pausing visa processing for Afghans, halting asylum decisions for 19 non-European countries, and increasing ICE operations in Minnesota. Top adviser Stephen Miller defended these measures, claiming that mass migration brings the conditions and terrors of failed states into the U.S.

Democrats and immigrant advocacy groups have criticized the administration, saying the rhetoric endangers communities and uses a tragedy to advance anti-immigrant policies. Church World Service condemned the actions as collective punishment. Experts have highlighted the dehumanizing language, warning it encourages xenophobia and could lead to violence.

On the ground, Somali and Afghan communities report heightened fear and increased ICE activity. Immigration lawyers argue the new policies unfairly target entire countries rather than addressing individual threats, with AILAs executive director calling it a weaponization of tragedy for political purposes. The White House maintains that the suspects presence is tied to Bidens policies and defends the focus on Somali immigrants.

Author: Benjamin Carter