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(Willmar MN-) The Wall Street Journal recently published a story getting the response of Willmar officials and a local business owner to President Trump’s rhetoric against Somali immigrants. Trump called Somalis and U.S. Representative Ihlan Omar of Minnesota garbage. He said they are ruining Minnesota, and he doesn’t want them in the country. Minnesota, with more than 80,000 residents of Somali descent, has more Somalis than anywhere else in the U.S., and 95% are reportedly U.S. citizens. The article, by reporter Joe Barrett, was published on Saturday.Barrett spoke to Willmar grocery store owner Abdiweli Yusuf, who said he’s seeing fewer people coming into his store last week because people are afraid. He told Barrett the cold doesn’t bother him, and “Minnesota is the most welcoming place in America. I have five kids who were born here in Willmar hospitals. This is our forever home.” Willmar Director of Community Growth Pablo Obregon told the Wall Street Journal Somalis are very entrepreneurial and have opened several businesses. Mayor Doug Reese told Barrett Somalis are good people, and former shoe salesman and County Commissioner Rollie Nissen said he appreciated the money Somalis spent in his store, and now that he is retired Nissen drives school bus and brings many Somali children to Willmar schools. He said he felt the presidents comments went too far.The article pointed out how companies like Jennie-O and local health care facilities depend on Somalis to help fill important jobs. President Trump blasted Governor Tim Walz and the billions of taxpayer dollars wasted through fraud in the state, and the biggest scheme, Feeding our Future, featured a host of defendants that were nearly entirely Somali. A Minneapolis man pleaded guilty in February to fraud that included using the address of a Willmar restaurant to claim that he fed 1.6 million meals to children early in the pandemic, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota.A Small Minnesota Town Defends Somali Residents as Critical to the Economy – WSJ