Somalia’s new president is criticizing the revised U.S. travel ban, telling journalists that “definitely” he would prefer it be lifted and reminding the United States that it has a large Somali community.
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who holds both U.S. and Somali citizenship after having lived for many years in the United States, spoke on Tuesday during a visit by the United Nations secretary-general.
Mohamed says Somalis in the U.S. “have contributed to the U.S. economy and the U.S. society in different ways, and we have to talk about what the Somali people have contributed rather than a few people who may cause a problem.”
Somalia’s president also acknowledged his country’s security challenges and says his government must “address the root cause, which is the security situation here and how to defeat al-Shabab” extremists.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar also spoke out against Trump’sexecutiveorder in a statement Saturday.
“I have long advocated for thorough vetting and have supported strong national security measures, but it is irresponsible and unconscionable to exclude entire populations from seeking refuge here, simply because of where they come from or what religion they practice,” Klobuchar said.
“Refugees strengthen our communities. In Minnesota, we are proud to have the largest Somali, Liberian and Oromo populations in the U.S. as well as the second largest Hmong population. They are police officers and small business owners, students and teachers. They have often fled desperate and dangerous situations, and, as legal workers, have been an important part of our economy and society. We cannot turn our back on them.”
The first Somali-American elected to serve as a Minnesota state representative, Ilhan Omar has friends and family members she says are in limbo now. For people on a mission to find the American Dream, she feels thetravelban is like a nightmare.
“A day like this is very scary,” Omar said. “Most of the refugees that are arriving are not that much different from the immigrants of our forefathers.”
