Ilhan Omar: Trump 'Muslim Ban' Will Help Terrorists Recruit

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar has condemned the Trump administration's revised immigration ban written to replace the previous executive order suspended by the courts.

"I continue to be distressed and saddened by the xenophobic and racist policies that this White House Administration continues to attempt to enact," Omar said in a statement. "As a Somali American, the only such person elected to state government in the Nation, I would ask that the White House think more critically about how they might actually reduce incidents of terrorism here and around the world."

The Star Tribune reported that originally born in Somalia, Omar and her family escaped civil war and lived in a Kenyan refugee camp before moving to Minneapolis. Omar has lived in the Somali-American neighborhood of Cedar-Riverside for nearly 20 years.

"Castigating, blaming, and broadly discriminating against refugees who are undoubtedly chosen because of their Muslim religious background does nothing to make this country safer," Omar continued. "It is my fear, and it has been shown in recent reporting, that a Muslim ban like the one the White House has actively sought, will not only deepen the racial and religious divides felt by New Americans in this country who are victims of racially motivated violent crime by white nationalists, but the executive order also helps recruiting efforts for criminal terrorist organizations abroad."

The new ban does not include Iraq in the list of targeted countries, though citizens from Iran, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will still be barred from coming to the country for 90 days.

Read the rest of the statement below:

Refugees are an integral part of the story of America, and we make this country stronger. We are doctors, teachers, poets, business owners, and factory workers. Despite the cold here in Minnesota, we experienced the warmth of welcoming neighbors. We raise children here and future leaders. I continue to extend an invitation to the new administration and any other doubters who need to visit our vibrant communities to see for themselves that we are Americans at their finest. Minnesota is a welcoming place. And refugees are welcomed here too.

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Image via Minnesota House of Representatives