IMG_1993

FALSE INFORMATION MEME! Please do not post without this clarification! No, this claim is false. During Barack Obama’s presidency (2009–2017), approximately 54,000 Somali refugees were resettled in the United States, with only about 6,320 settled in Minnesota, according to data from the U.S. Department of State’s Refugee Processing Center. The claim that 70,000 Somalis were resettled in Minnesota is a significant exaggeration. Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American, was elected to Congress in 2018 to represent Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. Her election was not the result of a “planned” resettlement effort. Minnesota has a history of resettling Somali refugees dating back to the early 1990s due to the Somali Civil War, with many choosing to settle there because of established community networks, employment opportunities, and support from local resettlement agencies. Omar won her election with 267,703 votes in a district with an estimated 27,600 Somali-Americans, indicating broad support beyond the Somali community. The suggestion of a conspiracy to elect Omar through resettlement lacks evidence and ignores the long-standing presence of Somalis in Minnesota, which predates Obama’s administration. For example, the George W. Bush administration resettled about 9,800 Somali refugees in Minnesota, more than during Obama’s tenure. Claims like this often circulate on social media but have been consistently debunked by fact-checking organizations.