Former Republican political hopeful denounces party's attacks on his Somali community

[MUSIC PLAYING] NINA MOINI: Minnesota is in the national news this week due to President Donald Trump's targeting of the state's Somali population. In a cabinet meeting this week, the president made xenophobic and racist comments about Somali people. We are also following reports that the White House is sending federal agents to the Twin Cities to arrest Somali immigrants who have final deportation orders. All of this has spread fear among Somali Minnesotans, most of whom are US citizens or green card holders. MPR News reporter Kirsti Marohn checked in with St. Cloud's Somali community.

KIRSTI MAROHN: About 100 people crammed into a meeting room at the St. Cloud Public Library. A sign on the podium read "An attack on one is an attack on all." 27-year-old Faisa Omar opened the event with a song.

FAISA OMAR: (SINGING) America, America

God shed his grace on thee

KIRSTI MAROHN: Most of the Somalis in this area are US citizens, either born here or naturalized, or are legal permanent residents. Many in the room said when they heard President Trump say that Somalis are garbage and contribute nothing, they felt the need to fight back. Abdikadir Bashir is executive director of the Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization.

ABDIKADIR BASHIR: We are not here tonight because we are afraid. We're here because we refuse to be silent.

KIRSTI MAROHN: Bashir said Trump's words don't define the Somali people.

ABDIKADIR BASHIR: Here is our message to your hate, Mr. President. You cannot defeat people who have already survived wars. We will outlast your trash talk.

KIRSTI MAROHN: Some said the national scrutiny and talk of a possible immigration crackdown in Minnesota are creating fear and anxiety. Farhiya Iman, a behavioral health professional, says it's important for people to know there's more to the Somali community than the negative news stories.

FARHIYA IMAN: We're just as American as anybody else. We're trying to raise children. We want them to be productive members of society. We want to be successful. There's a lot that goes into being Somali than just what the headline says.

KIRSTI MAROHN: Mohamoud Mohamed was one of the first Somalis to come to St. Cloud in 1999 after fleeing that country's civil war.

MOHAMOUD MOHAMED: We came from a destroyed country by war. It's not a choice. It's not a choice. It's necessity.

KIRSTI MAROHN: Mohamed voted for Trump twice, but says he now regrets it. He says the president is unfairly blaming Somalis when the vast majority are hardworking and law-abiding. Kirsti Marohn, NPR News, St. Cloud.

NINA MOINI: At the end of that story, we heard from a Somali Minnesotan who voted for President Donald Trump in two previous elections, and he wasn't alone. Results from the 2024 presidential election showed Democrats lost support in Minneapolis neighborhoods with high numbers of Somali voters. A survey from that time also showed growing support for the Republican Party.

Last year, Salman Fiqy threw his energy into campaigning for Republican candidates in his Somali community in the South Twin Cities metro. This was after he had ended an unsuccessful campaign for a Republican House seat. Since Trump's recent comments, he shared that he can no longer support the party. Salman Fiqy joins me now. Thank you so much for your time this afternoon, Mr. Fiqy.

SALMAN FIQY: Thank you guys for having me.

NINA MOINI: I think people's political beliefs are very personal to them. Sometimes they evolve. What have the past few days been like for you?

SALMAN FIQY: It was very disappointing hearing those remarks coming from the president that we supported and advocate for and campaign for. It's very disappointed for a president to trash an entire community like this. Yeah, I can understand there's criminals. In every community, there's criminals, and there's a legal way to prosecute those criminals. We don't condone any crime or criminal activity. However, to brush the whole entire community with a wide brush and say Somalis are garbage is very disappointing and also expose the community to violence.

NINA MOINI: What is it about these comments in particular that make you, if you want to, move away from the party as a whole? They're coming from the president. But have you talked with other Republicans at the local and state level? What reactions are you getting there?

SALMAN FIQY: Well, we reached out to Tom Emmer's office, and we spoke to his aide. And we had a meeting, and apparently, the way the mindset is, their mindset is like, this kind of remarks or rhetoric is getting traction within the base of the Republican Party. So they don't want to backtrack from those remarks. And if it gets traction, then they assume that it's the right way to go forward with it and [LAUGHS] dehumanize and bash the whole entire community.

NINA MOINI: And I should mention MPR News has reached out to US Representative Tom Emmer for an interview, and he wasn't available before this conversation, but the invitation remains open. We definitely want to hear from him and all of our lawmakers at different levels. How has this changed your political hopes for the future? Do you think that-- is the Democratic Party looking better to you? Or are you feeling more disenchanted with politics in general?

SALMAN FIQY: Well, I think the Republican Party, especially in Minnesota GOP, they fumbled the ball really badly by not standing up against the president's remark. Because Somalis were-- 1 in 3 votes in Somalis in Minnesota actually voted for Trump.

NINA MOINI: And why do you think that is? What do you think was drawing more people to the Republican Party, I wonder?

SALMAN FIQY: Because inherently, Somalis are very conservative, religious community, and we share many conservative ideas with the Republican Party. And that's one of the main reasons why Somalis are starting to kind of move away from the Democratic Party to Republican Party. But I think they haven't read the audience or read the room well and understanding that opportunity. And they could have built on this opportunity for a firm voter base for Republican Party in the Twin Cities.

NINA MOINI: And where you are there in the South Metro, the Somali American or Minnesotan Somali community has grown a lot in recent years. I grew up in the South Metro. What do you think has drawn people to the area that you're in? And what's your sense for how the community's contributing and how things are going?

SALMAN FIQY: I think the main issues are education and safety as well, and also, the overall ideas of conservative ideas or the conservative values that the Republican Party is standing up for, is standing for. That's what drawn Somalis to the Republican Party. But I think Republican Party is not mature enough to accept diversity in their ranks. And that's really problematic in their ambition to turn the state red.

NINA MOINI: Just lastly, Salman, what do you say to young people, Somali youth, many of whom were born in this country? And maybe they haven't even visited Somalia. They're citizens of this country. All of this is bringing up questions about who can claim Americanness and identity, it feels like. What are you saying to young people right now in particular?

SALMAN FIQY: Well, I think Somalis, I mean, those who are actually Somalis who were born here or naturalized in the United States, they see themselves as Americans and part of the fabric of the American society. And we contribute. We work hard. We live here. And we're going to stay here, as long as-- [LAUGHS] as long as we're here, we're here forever. We're going to be here. So there's no way those remarks by the president can disparage us or make us feel otherwise.

NINA MOINI: All right, Salman, thank you very much for your time. I appreciate it.

SALMAN FIQY: Thank you.

NINA MOINI: Salman Fiqy is a former Republican candidate for state house in Burnsville.