Still Somali. Still American.
Author: Maymun Abdi
My parents have lived in this country for over 25 years, fleeing a nation they once considered home for a chance at a better life. Like many Somali Americans, they pay taxes, work in jobs that support communities, and contribute to the fabric of this country in more ways than one. However, according to the president, they are garbage immigrants who have no place in this country.
There are over 260,000 Somalis living in the U.S., most of whom are either born in the U.S. or are naturalized citizens. When the president of the U.S. makes deplorable demands to send Somalis back to where they came from, what he is trying to do is erase our identity as citizens, which he is failing miserably at. Despite his baseless claims, Somalis in this country are Americans. From San Diego, California to Minnesota’s Twin Cities, we have been embraced by communities across the country while making significant contributions to them. No amount of xenophobia will make us any less American, even if it is coming from the highest office in the country.
Trump’s most recent attacks on Somali Americans have not only fueled racism but also legitimized Islamophobia against our majority Muslim community. For years, the president has pushed a harmful narrative that paints Somalis as violent, an age-old tactic he repeatedly uses against people coming from Muslim-majority countries. While many of us remain unfazed by the racism and bigotry he’s unleashed from the same old authoritarian playbook, we know far too well that his actions have damaging consequences. Following his most recent attacks on Somali Americans, a predominantly Somali American mosque in Fairfax County, Virginia, was targeted in a hateful, anti-Muslim attack. Unfortunately, this is just one of many reported incidents against Somalis as a result of the dehumanizing language the president has used. What he refuses to acknowledge is that at the end of the day, it is Somalis who are forced to live with the consequences of his actions.
In Minnesota, home to one of the largest Somali communities in the U.S., Trump has launched a brutal immigration crackdown on Somalis after claiming we “contribute nothing” to the U.S. Since the launch of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, masked federal agents have deployed dangerous tactics to carry out unlawful deportations, including racial profiling and excessive force. Despite the agency’s stated goal of targeting undocumented Somali immigrants, U.S. citizens have also been directly targeted and wrongfully arrested, showing how far ICE is willing to go to carry out Trump’s immigration agenda.
Just last week, MAGA influencer Nick Shirley posted a video of himself claiming he was investigating fraud at Somali-owned daycare centers in the state of Minnesota. In reality, he entered these establishments, harassing community members who were already fearful of ICE’s presence, and made baseless claims that they were all misappropriating taxpayer money. Despite having no evidence to back up his claims, Shirley’s video attracted mass attention, including from the Trump administration, which has officially announced it has frozen all childcare payments to the state of Minnesota. This is yet another example of generalized rhetoric targeting an immigrant community made by the Trump administration. Unfortunately, as a result, it is the people of Minnesota who will suffer the consequences.
Despite Trump’s attempts to stoke fear among Somalis and spread damaging stereotypes targeting our community, we stand strong in our identity as Somali Americans. This country is our home. And at a time when powerful forces attempt to challenge this reality, we must refuse to be silenced.
