Ben Stiller rebukes Trump’s Somali remark, says America is 'built on the backs' of immigrants

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ben Stiller took a dig at President Donald Trump on Tuesday, December 2, after Trump made remarks suggesting Somali immigrants should be sent back home.

Trump said on Tuesday that Somali immigrants were “garbage.” The president made the statement as his administration is reportedly increasing immigration enforcement against undocumented Somalis in Minnesota. 

Ben Stiller says America is built 'on the backs' of immigrants

Ben Stiller took to X and wrote, “Somalis are not garbage. Immigrants and refugees from anywhere are people like you and me. They should not be demonized.”

“This country is built on the backs of people who have come from other places. It’s what our country is all about,” he added.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump took aim at Somalis and Rep Ilhan Omar, who is originally from Somalia and is a US citizen. The president claimed Somalia “stinks” and is “no good for a reason,” adding, “They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you,” while calling Omar “garbage” and saying “we’re going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country.”

He continued, “These are people who do nothing but complain. They complain, and from where they came from, they got nothing … When they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but b***h, we don’t want them in our country. Let them go back to where they came from and fix it.”

The New York Times reported that the Minneapolis–St Paul metro area would see increased deportation efforts this week, focused primarily on Somalis with final deportation orders. The operation will reportedly use “strike teams” of ICE agents and other federal officers and bring in about 100 agents from across the country.

Minneapolis police vow support as ICE targets Somali immigrants

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara condemned the reported ICE raid plans and reassured Minnesota’s Somali community of the department’s support during a Tuesday news conference.

The response comes as US immigration officials prepare an operation in the Minneapolis area expected to target the region’s large Somali immigrant population. The development follows heightened national tensions over immigration and comments made by the president during a cabinet meeting about Minnesota’s Somali community.

O’Hara said fear within immigrant communities is growing and harming public safety. He emphasized that the Minneapolis Police Department does not participate in federal immigration enforcement and remains focused solely on protecting the community. “People are going to want to speak out, to protest, and to exercise their First Amendment rights, we will absolutely defend people’s rights to do just that,” the police chief said.

He urged that any demonstrations in response to potential raids remain peaceful.

“If demonstrations do happen around any type of immigration raid, I ask that they remain nonviolent so that we can keep everyone in our community safe,” O’Hara said.