As Trump targets Somalis, a brief history of their migration to the US

The country itself has witnessed security breaches in recent years, with the overall instability fuelling piracy off the Somali coast in the Gulf of Aden.

According to an NPR report, Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the US. Migration was aided by some people being employed in a meat-packing plant in one city, and word spread among the community about the opportunity. Refugees were also attracted by the fact that Minnesota was known for its hospitality and liberal social values.

In 2018, Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minneapolis who came to the US as a refugee, became the first Somali-American elected to Congress. Trump has previously criticised her, and said on Wednesday that she “should be thrown the hell out of our country”.

WITH AP INPUTS