ICE launched ‘Operation Buckeye’ and ‘influencers’ claimed Somalis are running fraudulent businesses after Trump repeatedly used racist language against group in December

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/44242172

March 9, 2026

ICE agents have been turning up in cars around Somali-owned businesses and schools that teach children from immigrant backgrounds. Rightwing so-called “influencers”, including leaders at Turning Point USA, have followed suit.

Since then, Somali-owned businesses have struggled to attract customers and schools have closed due to low attendance fueled by the presence of federal agents and anti-immigrant provocateurs.

Today, the Somali community in Columbus, which numbers around 60,000 people, is still reeling from the fallout.

    • floofloof@lemmy.ca
      2·
      3 hours ago

      More ignorance than hypocrisy probably.

      “Before this happened, I thought the president was going to be a good president,” said Mohammed.

      You can’t really think that unless you just missed everything he said he would do.