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Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer on Monday called for every Somali Minnesotan who committed fraud to be deported, including those who are U.S. citizens.

 titled “Send them home,” Emmer said those here illegally should be deported immediately. And he said naturalized citizens should have their U.S. citizenship revoked — even if that would require changing the law.

"Our nation will not tolerate those who take advantage of our charity and refuse to assimilate into our culture,” Emmer stated.

He also said any naturalized Somali American citizens who had undisclosed ties to terrorist organizations or committed marriage fraud during the immigration process should lose their citizenship.

MPR News reached out to Emmer's office requesting an interview but has not received a response.

His remarks come amid intense public attention over fraud involving businesses run by people of East African descent.

They stem from a massive scheme to defraud a taxpayer-funded child nutrition program through the now-defunct nonprofit Feeding Our Future, as well as fraud schemes involving housing stabilization and autism treatment programs. Some of the defendants in the cases were of Somali descent.

On fraud in Minnesota

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Wrongly linking it to fraud in state programs

Emmer’s recent remarks also mark a departure from his past defense of the Somali community. His Sixth Congressional District includes a sizable East African population.

In 2016, Emmer was featured in an episode of the radio show “

” defending Somali immigrants to his constituents at a town hall.

“If you're asking me how I feel about immigrant populations who are in this country legally, and who are actually trying to find a better way for themselves and their families, I support it wholeheartedly,” Emmer said then. “I mean, the Germans had the same problem when they came over. The Polish had the problem. The Chinese had the problem.”

He also called Somalis “some of the fastest-assimilating populations that we've had.”

Nine years after that episode aired, Emmer is now the House majority whip and a staunch ally of President Donald Trump. His rhetoric has turned increasingly critical toward Somali Americans.

supported the recent federal enforcement action

 in Minnesota targeting Somalis. He also demanded an investigation into reports that Somali Minnesotans have funneled taxpayer dollars to terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab. Federal prosecutors say those claims haven't been verified.

One Somali community advocate said Emmer’s latest statement isn’t a surprise, given his comments over the past few months.

"This is not accidental language. He has carefully chosen to send a message,” said Abdikadir Bashir, executive director of the nonprofit Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization in St. Cloud, which is part of Emmer's district.

Bashir said Emmer knows the Somali American community is a decisive voting block in elections.

"Instead of competing for our votes, he's trying to erase us politically,” Bashir said. “And I think it's not going to work."

Bashir said it's dangerous when a lawmaker singles out one ethnic group and suggests changing the law to remove their citizenship. 

"The moment citizenship becomes conditional on whether a politician finds us convenient, none of us is safe,” he said. “Today, it might be the Somali Americans. Tomorrow, it could be another ethnic group."

Minnesota has the largest Somali American population in the U.S. The vast majority are legal U.S. citizens.

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Fraud in Minnesota

Kirsti Marohn

Author

The Republican representative from Minnesota also said naturalized U.S. citizens who committed fraud should have their citizenship revoked — even if that would require changing the law.

The Republican congressman from Minnesota also said naturalized U.S. citizens who committed fraud should have their citizenship revoked — even if that would require changing the law.

Emmer calls for deportation of Somali Americans tied to fraud

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