US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration would work to revoke the citizenship of immigrants who are originally from the US if they are convicted of fraud, referring to immigrants “from Somalia or wherever.”
Speaking at an event hosted by the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said that people convicted of fraud would face prison time and deportation from the US. “If you come to the US to defraud the US, we will arrest you, and then we will send you back to where you came from,” he said, drawing applause from some in the audience.
The remarks come as the president intensifies his rhetoric about allegations of corruption and fraud in federal programs that support child care and food subsidies. President Trump singled out Minnesota, which is home to a large Somali-American population. The Twin Cities area is home to the largest Somali community in the United States.
Federal and state agencies are still investigating the allegations, but no formal, definitive results have been released.
While the investigations are ongoing, the Trump administration has announced a move to cut off some federal funding for child care programs in five states, all of which are led by Democratic governors. The states — California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York — have filed lawsuits, arguing that the move violates federal law.
A federal judge last week temporarily blocked the decision while the case is heard.
President Trump has repeatedly used arguments about what he describes as widespread fraud and crime by immigrants to justify tightening immigration policies.
Critics say the claims are often based on unsubstantiated allegations and specifically target immigrant communities. Various research studies show that immigrants are generally less likely than native-born Americans to be involved in violent crime.
