Trump "chest-thumps" for blocking Somali refugees from accessing US

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump continued with his anti-immigration policy in the final stretch of his campaigns, just under three days before millions of voters in America head to the ballot to choose the person who will serve as president as Trump's first term in office comes to an end.

President Trump, who has often been accused of being racist, is facing stiff competition from former Vice President Joe Biden, who served as Barack Obama's assistant for eight years. The two will face each other on Tuesday next week, despite the fact that other states have already started voting.

But in a jibe targeting Somalia and other war-torn nations, Trump on Friday insisted that he had managed to lock out millions of refugees, terming the countries "dangerous". Throughout his tenure since 2017, Somalia has been one of the countries which have been badly affected by his foreign policies.

Since 1990, Somalia has struggled with instability, which has largely been caused by inter-clan conflicts and violent extremism. The Al-Shabaab group which has ties with Al-Qaida has caused mayhem in the central and southern parts of the country, leading to international military cooperation in Somalia.

Trump insisted that he has succeeded in thwarting entry of immigrants from Somalia and other nations, remarks which attracted condemnation from several top leaders, who accuse him of advancing divisive policies in the country. He was campaigning in Florida ahead of his trip to Michigan and Minnesota, which have a sizeable number of immigrants.

"My Administration has suspended the entry of refugees from terror-compromised nations such as Syria, Somalia, and Yemen," he wrote on his Facebook. "Biden’s plan surges refugees 700% into Minnesota, Michigan, and Pennsylvania—burdening schools and hospitals while opening the floodgates to Radical Islamic Terror."

In fact, Minnesota, where he was campaigning on Friday evening, has the highest number of Somali refugees. The state became one of the first to produce a Somali refugee member of Congress, Ms. IIhan Omar, a chief critic of the Trump administration who represents the Minnesota 5th District.

Ms. Omar, who was elected in 2018, recently secured her Democratic Party nomination ticket, and opinion polls place her among the favorite candidates to defend her seat. She has often accused Trump of discrimination against immigrants in America.

Trump's main rival Joe Biden is considered to be friendly to immigrants especially those from Africa. In a tweet on Friday, the former Vice President and his running mate Kamala Harris, a black legislator from California, vowed to ensure they bring the country together by appreciating all races.

"This election is about so much more than policy. The character of our country is on the ballot. And Kamala Harris and I will work every day to bring this country back together — fighting as hard for those who don’t support us as those who do," he noted.

GAROWE ONLINE