Rep. Tom Emmer Says Somalis Who Don't Assimilate Should "Go The Hell Back To Where They Came From"

CBS Minnesota

June 26, 2026

U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, at a Wednesday evening Capitol Hill event, told Somali immigrants who don't assimilate that they "should go the hell back to where they came from" — remarks that drew sharp criticism from fellow Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar.

Emmer's remarks were made at a Faith and Freedom Coalition town hall on Capitol Hill, where he said immigrants who don't assimilate "should go the hell back to where they came from." He also said he was "done being careful" about being labeled a racist or an Islamophobe.

"The reason I bring it up is that, (as) I tell people regularly, Minnesota did not create passive-aggressive behavior, but we did perfect it," he said. "I happen to be more on the aggressive-aggressive side, which doesn't always work in Minnesota. ... Sometimes Minnesotans are so afraid that you're going to call us a racist, you're going to call us an Islamophobe, you're going to call us some name that we just don't want to get into that fight. You know what, I would argue that I never did care, but I'm done being careful, even the least bit careful."

Click here for the full story via CBS Minnesota

CBS Local Digital Media personalizes the global reach of CBS-owned and operated television and radio stations with a local perspective.