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

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.