US government considers denaturalization of Somali American citizens over alleged fraud claims

US President Donald Trump has made comments about Somali Americans, stating that the administration is reviewing plans to strip citizenship from those convicted of fraud. This comes a day after the Trump administration froze $185 million in federal subsidies for low-income childcare in Minnesota due to alleged fraud at daycare centers run by Somali Americans.

In a social media post, Trump stated that “much of Minnesota Fraud” is caused by individuals who entered the country illegally from Somalia. He also repeated his criticism of Somali American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, calling her one of the many scammers. Trump’s comments were followed by a statement from White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, who said the administration is “looking at” possible denaturalization of Somali Americans convicted of fraud.

The White House has announced plans to review citizenship revocation for individuals convicted of fraud. This move follows previous threats made by Trump and his allies to strip citizenship from naturalized citizens. Legal experts have noted that citizenship can be revoked in rare cases, but the process typically requires a high burden of proof.

Trump’s comments on Somali Americans come as part of his broader rhetoric targeting immigrant communities. The administration has also taken steps to surge immigration enforcement agents to Minnesota and conduct an audit of legal Somali immigrants. These actions follow a scandal involving alleged misused social assistance funding and COVID funding in the state, which has resulted in 98 individuals being charged with fraud.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has responded to Trump’s comments, stating that local and federal authorities have been working to combat fraud in the state for years. The governor also criticized Trump’s actions as an attempt to hurt working Minnesotans.

Source: Al Jazeera