Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) defended his proposal to suspend immigration from Somalia for 25 years during a recent interview, arguing that U.S. immigration policy should be centered exclusively on the interests of American citizens and national cohesion. Gill said the legislation, titled the Somalia Immigration Moratorium Act, is intended to respond to what he described as persistent challenges related to welfare dependency and cultural assimilation within segments of the Somali immigrant population.
— American Gazzete (@AmericanGazzete) February 21, 2026
“The bill is simple and I think it’s predicated on a basic principle which is that our immigration system is designed it is its sole purpose is to benefit American citizens,” Gill said. “There’s no other reason that it exists. We get to choose or we should choose who comes into our country and that should be based on what makes the United States stronger, what makes our communities more prosperous.”
Gill framed the legislation as a response to immigration trends that have developed over the past several decades. He noted that there were “virtually no Somali in the United States in 1990,” describing the growth of the Somali immigrant population as a relatively recent development concentrated in places such as Minnesota.
— American Gazzete (@AmericanGazzete) February 21, 2026
Citing statistics about public assistance usage, Gill said that “81% of them are on welfare,” adding that “even after being in the United States for 10 years or longer, 78% of Somali immigrants in Minnesota are on welfare.” He also raised concerns about language proficiency, stating that “50% roughly about half of the Somali immigrants in Minnesota, even after being in the US for 10 years or longer, do not speak English very well.”
— American Gazzete (@AmericanGazzete) February 21, 2026
“That is a real cultural problem in the United States,” Gill said. “We brought in a lot of people. We need to allow our society, our civilization to cohere, to assimilate, to become one people, all of us, that we can all become fully American. And that’s not happening.”
Under his proposal, immigration from Somalia would be halted for 25 years. Gill characterized the length of the moratorium as measured rather than extreme. “If anything, 25 years is too short,” he said. “I think that’s a moderate response to a pretty severe problem here.”
Gill broadened his remarks beyond Somalia, arguing that immigration policy should prioritize what he described as cultural compatibility with American constitutional principles. “Bringing in lots of people from cultures that are unassimilable and incompatible with our own whether it’s from Somalia or from other parts of the Islamic world for instance as you alluded to I think is idiotic and suicidal,” he said. “The reality is that not all cultures are equal and not all cultures are equally compatible with our governing framework.”
Importing people from unassimilable cultures is idiotic and suicidal. pic.twitter.com/YreAygou7l
— Congressman Brandon Gill (@RepBrandonGill) February 20, 2026
He cited differences in views on freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the role of women in society as areas where he believes incompatibilities can arise. “Our immigration policy ought to recognize that,” Gill said. “It should be in our power to determine who comes into our society. That is a core part of American sovereignty.”
Referencing earlier eras of U.S. immigration law, Gill said that historically immigrants were required not to become a “public burden” and were expected to assimilate culturally. “You could not be what’s called a public burden, which means that you cannot come into the country and hop on welfare and expect the American people to pay for your food and your housing and your medical care and other welfare,” he said. He added that assimilation “oftentimes takes a lot of time several decades sometimes,” and argued that high levels of immigration have slowed that process.
Gill, who represents Texas’ 26th Congressional District, concluded by reiterating that his immigration proposal is intended to place American citizens first. “This is not about disliking or distrusting anybody,” he said. “It’s about loving our people in our country.”
