Disturbing truth about Somalis in America that no Democrat will ever confront
A massive fraud scandal in Minnesota has reignited bitter national debate over mass migration.
In the wake of allegations that Somali‑run clinics and social‑service providers defrauded the state of hundreds of millions, Donald Trump declared he did not want 'them in our country,' describing Somali immigrants as 'garbage.'
The remarks triggered outrage on the Left and sparked broader questions about immigration policy and assimilation.
Some tried to push back — actor Ben Stiller publicly posted on social media: 'Somalis are not garbage. Immigrants and refugees from anywhere are people like you and me. They should not be demonized.'
But beyond the heated rhetoric, experts argue there are real, serious assimilation challenges tied to aspects of Somali culture.
'It's a tough to assimilate group,' warned Africa expert William Reno from Northwestern University.
There are very unique cultural, educational and gender‑specific dynamics that are unlike other immigrant populations, experts say.
One of the most disturbing issues is female genital mutilation (FGM).
A massive fraud scandal in Minnesota has reignited bitter national debate over mass migration from Somalia (Photo of Halima Aden, center, a hijab-wearing model from the US)
'It's a tough to assimilate group,' William Reno, a professor of political science at Northwestern University and former director of African studies at the college, told the Daily Mail
In Somalia, 98 percent of women have undergone the barbaric procedure — which usually involves removing the clitoris and parts of the labia.
FGM is illegal under US law, yet the practice seems to follow Somali women to America.
A 2021 study by the prestigious Johns Hopkins School of Public Health estimated that about eight in 10 Somali women living in the US are victims of FGM.
Of the 879 women included in the study, only 44 were born in the US and the research did not break down how likely they were to have had the procedure.
Professor Reno believes this could still be happening in secret. 'Generally, it's seen as really central to the culture,' Reno says.
In Somalia, people have long believed it is the only way to keep a girl 'pure' for marriage and loyal to her future husband.
'I would imagine among immigrants to the US that there's probably a lot of intergenerational conflict about this,' said Reno.
He says it could also motivate Somali parents not to let their children assimilate.
'Does it make parents really wary about the assimilation of their kids and that their daughters are gonna reject this?'
President Donald Trump has described Somali immigrants as 'garbage' and declared he did not want 'them in our country'
In Somalia, 98 percent of women have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM). The practice is banned stateside
Reno adds that, for many families, this clash against U.S. norms and traditional practices can create isolation.
'You've got another thing that sort of pushes you into this kind of clandestine world that isolates you from the rest of the world here,' he said.
The medical and social consequences of FGM — including urinary tract infections, as well as painful period and fertility issues — often deter Somali women from seeking care in the US, says Reno, out of a 'shame' to do with anything linked to reproduction.
This means they might retreat further into their communities and not seek to adapt to US norms.
Education and literacy gaps play another central role. Somalia's decades of civil war effectively dismantled formal schooling.
According to some estimates, about half of adults in Somalia are illiterate.
Women have it even harder. Literacy in Somalia for them bottoms out at about 26 percent.
Many Somali immigrants arrive in the US without English skills, unable to read or navigate paperwork, schools, or social‑services systems.
'Most of the people that arrive, they don't speak English,' Reno says.
Trump's remarks sparked broader questions about immigration policy and the assimilation of the Somali community in the US
'They have to rely on their kids to do a lot of interaction… If they're gonna get a driver's license or something … you bring your kid, and the kid talks for you.
'So I think for a lot of adults, that's isolating.'
In Minnesota — home to the largest Somali population outside of Somalia — a 2025 survey found that 34 percent of Somali adults aged 25-64 lacked even a high‑school diploma or GED.
Only 11 percent held a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with more than one‑third of the general population in the state.
Many families struggle to help children with homework or navigate the American school system because of the parents' limited education or English‑language skills.
This can also cause Somali immigrants to lack employment opportunities, which in turn prevents them from going to work and assimilating - and encourages them to stay insulated within their communities.
They begin relying on their children and grandchildren, Reno says.
Those younger generations of Somalis generally end up assimilating 'fine, but that's a different process.'
However, young kids being thrust into roles typically occupied by an elder can become 'really tough' and potentially lead immigrants into crime.
According to some estimates, about half of adults in Somalia are illiterate. Many Somali immigrants arrive stateside lacking English skills
'If you live in a rough neighborhood, the kid has to start looking for other support groups,' Reno said.
'That might not necessarily be good people that they're hanging out with.'
Federal prosecutors say that over the past five years, scores of scammers - many inside Minnesota's Somali diaspora - stole more than $1billion marked towards helping hungry children, homeless families and autism patients.
Instead, the money bankrolled G-Wagons, Teslas, Porsches, lakefront homes, Dubai shopping sprees and beachside resorts.
Fifty-nine people have been convicted so far. The total haul tops $1billion, a sum larger than the state's yearly prison budget.
IRS investigator Justin Campbell called the alleged crime spree the 'epitome of greed.'
Nearly all the defendants across the three fraud schemes are of Somali ancestry - though the vast majority are US citizens.
Many Somali Americans say the scandal has cast a dark cloud over a rising community and worry that every seized item will become another stereotype used against them.
Federal prosecutors said scammers, many inside Minnesota's Somali diaspora, stole more than $1billion intended for feeding children, helping homeless families and providing autism therapy
A nonpartisan legislative audit later found that state agencies had hesitated to crack down on the fraud because they had been influenced by fears of racial backlash.
Stereotypes of 'bad Somalis, bad parenting, [Somali] kids are dangerous' exist, Reno says, but there is 'nuance to this situation.'
Dr Shafie Sharif Mohamed, the managing director of the Somali Researchers Association and a senior researcher based in Somalia, says: 'In Somalia, I can live even if I'm not working because family, relatives, friends are willing to help you.
'But in America, someone who does not work, the next day you have nothing to eat. Life is not as easy as many people think.'
He suggested this may contribute in pushing Somalis into crime.
Somalia's deeply rooted social traditions — child marriages, high rates of in‑group remarrying, and patriarchal family structures — also complicate integration into US society, where values of gender equality, individual autonomy, and secular civic norms dominate.
About 36 percent of Somali women were married or in a union before they were 18.
Roughly one-third of girls marry husbands 10 or more years older, and about one in five Somali women are in polygynous marriages.
Life for women and girls in Somalia's male-dominated society has been described as dire.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, is one of the best known Somali figures in the United States
Only about 23 percent of females in Somalia were part of the work force. About 17 percent were married before their 15th birthday.
Given the clandestine nature of many Somali families, it is hard to gauge whether that treatment of women extends into the US, experts tell the Daily Mail.
Assimilating in such a different culture is already challenging for Somalis, Reno says, but the volume of immigrants can make it even tougher.
From 2001 to 2023, a massive surge of more than 111,000 Somali refugees arrived in the US, largely settling in Minnesota and New York.
Last year, 4,790 Somali refugees arrived stateside, according to the US Office of Homeland Security Statistics.
'The concentration also maybe creates an impediment to assimilation,' Reno says. 'So local people [might] think they're kind of standoffish or maybe their kids are having problems in school.'
In the US, Minnesota has the largest population of Somalis in the country at around 80,000.
'You can make a decision about whether you want to bring in people like this or not,' Reno says. 'But the fact is, you actually have these people who are here now. So what are you going to do about it?'
Minnesota has the largest population of Somalis in the United States at an estimated 80,000
He added: 'You can't wish the problem away. I think that most people recognize there is a problem, but I think that there's value in actually recognizing it as a problem.
'Because then you can begin to discuss what to do about it rather than sort of the easy, intellectually lazy route, which is to say, 'Somalis are garbage'.'
Civil war in Somalia has resulted in widespread immigration since the early 1990s.
The US first determined the Somali Bantu as a persecuted minority group in 1999 and agreed to admit up to 12,000 immigrants, although their initial resettlement was delayed by the 9/11 terror attacks.
The local conflict has severely limited access to education, healthcare and basic public services and necessities.
A lack of economic opportunities and high unemployment brought on by the country's drastic conditions have driven many Somalis young and old to search elsewhere for a better life.
Many hope relocating to the US will lead to just that.
