Somali leaders stay quiet as Trump’s harsh comments on Somali immigrants ignite political outrage and fear in Minnesota’s Somali community.

Trump has made negative remarks about many countries, Hamza Abdi Barre says, adding that it is better to ‘simply move on’ - Anadolu Ajansı

A native of Minnesota who is of Somali descent said people in his community are afraid to leave their homes despite their citizenship status.

U.S. airstrikes in Somalia more than double under Trump, targeting ISIS and al-Shabab terrorists in coordinated operations with Somali government.

“ This is so anti-American,” Abdikadir Bashir, the executive director of the Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization, told HuffPost. “ When you speak of America, in your mind, what echoes are the words of equality, fairness, justice and not targeted condemnations or bigotry. That is not American.”

We must ensure that America’s promise to protect the persecuted is never extended to persecutors, fraudsters, or those who exploit our generosity.

Minnesota has been a magnet for Somali immigrants for decades and now has America’s largest population of people of Somali descent.

Minnesota hosts the nation’s largest Somali population, the result of decades of refugee resettlements and growing American-born families. Beginning in 1993, hundreds and then thousands of Somali immigrants each year fled war and instability in the East African country to resettle in Minnesota.

Trump hosted the leaders of Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda in an attempt to cement a peace deal to end their decades-long conflict.