Somali-Americans respond to Trump’s ‘garbage’ remarks

Somali Americans in Minnesota described their growing fears after U.S. President Donald Trump intensified his criticism of the community this week.

Community leaders told the BBC that the “anxiety is palpable” following Trump’s announcement that he did not want Somalis in the US and that “the country will go down the wrong path if we continue to buy garbage”.

“When you’re targeted by the president of the United States, it’s not a good feeling,” said Aj Awed, executive director of the Cedar-Riverside Community Council, which represents a town known as Little Mogadishu for its large Somali population.

Reports that authorities had launched an enforcement operation targeting undocumented immigrants in Minnesota also raised concerns.

Mr Awed said the council would discuss the risks of holding an annual event scheduled to be held in person next week due to the operation.

“The people who get caught up in this are people who don’t speak English that well but have been citizens for decades,” he said. “Having an accent doesn’t make you less American.”

Trump made derogatory comments criticizing the Somali community at the White House on Tuesday. “I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you… their country is not good for some reason,” he said.

Mr. Awed said the comments were “dangerous” and added that it was “unbecoming of a president to simply attack other Americans.”

He also expressed concerns about violence that might follow.

“When the President puts a bullseye on the immigrant community here,” he said, it could encourage others “to become more radical.”

President Trump’s comments came after he was questioned about massive fraud in Minnesota’s welfare program.

Dozens of people have been charged in a scheme that federal prosecutors say involved a charity fraudulently billing the Minnesota government for meals intended for children during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A number of Somali immigrants were involved in this alleged scheme, which ultimately cost the state tens of millions of dollars. According to Kayseh MaganA former investigator for the Minnesota attorney general’s office.

Although those accused of involvement represent a small portion of Minnesota’s large Somali population, Trump has repeatedly criticized the community, writing in a post last month that the state had become “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.”

The House Oversight Committee said Wednesday it has launched an investigation into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s handling of the allegations.

Minneapolis City Council member Jamal Osman moved to the United States when he was 14 and became a naturalized citizen.

“Anyone who looks like me [is] I’m scared right now,” she told CBS News.

Regarding the allegations of fraud, which Trump has repeatedly mentioned in his criticism of the Somali community, Osman said: “My community is sad. Yes, people commit crimes, but an entire society should not be blamed for the actions of some people.”

The Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program for immigrants from countries in crisis, for Somalis living in Minnesota.

He said the enforcement operation would target people given final deportation orders. This operation began on Wednesday, according to the BBC’s US partner CBS News.

“ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is already here,” said Kowsar Mohamed, who lives in south Minneapolis. The city is home to more than 80,000 people of Somali descent.

“We see bots in field activities where people are collected from the streets and asked about their residence status. This is not a data-driven approach,” he said.

“Most people have the necessary credentials, so the fear is not about evidence. The fear is about mistakes happening.”

There have been numerous reports of masked federal officers detaining U.S. citizens and other legal residents; Over 170 events. According to ProPublica research In October.

Social media videos filled with images of ICE agents smashing a suspect’s car windows and throwing them to the ground during detention are heightening the fears of immigrants, undocumented or not.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, denied that any individuals would be targeted based on race.

“ICE enforces national laws across the country every day,” said Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “What makes someone a target of ICE is their presence in the country illegally, not their race or ethnicity.”

Ms. Mohamed said local community organizations expected sanctions against immigrants to increase, but they accelerated preparations after Trump’s comments.

An organization called Monarca planned “legal observer training” in Minneapolis to educate people who witness federal immigration actions about their rights.

Ms. Mohamed said other ways the community supports her are by having emergency contacts available in case of encounters with ICE and private messaging groups where people share photos of unmarked cars and masked agents.

“Everyone will be careful,” he said.

“Is there fear? Absolutely. But no one hides behind their tails.”