Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, has drawn a stark historical parallel, stating that the dehumanizing language used by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller against immigrants is reminiscent of how Nazis described Jewish people in Germany. Omar, who came to the United States as a refugee from Somalia, made the comments during an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
Miller's Rhetoric and the "Great Replacement" Theory
The controversy centres on comments made last month by Stephen Miller, the architect of the Trump administration's immigration policies. In a post on X, Miller responded to a Wall Street Journal op-ed about Afghan refugees by stating, "This is the great lie of mass migration. You are not just importing individuals. You are importing societies." He added that migrants, at scale, "recreate the conditions, and terrors, of their broken homelands."
This is not an isolated incident. Miller regularly echoes the "great replacement theory," a racist conspiracy theory that claims nonwhite immigrants are deliberately brought into countries to "replace" the existing white population. Omar directly addressed this dangerous rhetoric in her television interview.
"When I think about Stephen Miller and his white supremacist rhetoric, it reminds of the way the Nazis described Jewish people in Germany," Omar told CBS. She also pointed to America's own history of turning away Jewish refugees and the past vitriol directed at Irish and Italian immigrants.
Federal Raids Target Somali Community in Minnesota
Omar's remarks come as federal immigration authorities have launched an operation in her home state of Minnesota. This operation mirrors raids already conducted in cities like Washington, Chicago, and Los Angeles. It specifically targets the state's more than 84,000 residents of Somali descent, a community where an estimated 95% are U.S. citizens.
"We’re yes of course ethnically Somali. We are in this country as Americans," Omar asserted. "We are citizens, we are productive, [we are] part of this nation and we will continue to be."
The political climate intensified after a shooting involving a National Guard member in Washington, D.C., which was allegedly committed by an Afghan refugee. President Donald Trump responded by halting all asylum decisions and escalating his attacks on immigrants, focusing last week on the Somali community. Trump was reported to have called Somalia "not even a nation" and referred to its refugees as "garbage."
Dangerous Rhetoric and Unsubstantiated Claims
Omar condemned the president's language as "completely disgusting," noting that he was referring to American citizens. "I think it’s also really important for us to remember that this kind of hateful rhetoric and this level of dehumanizing can lead to dangerous actions by people who listen to the president," she warned.
Following Omar's interview, Stephen Miller posted on X, claiming without evidence that the "entire Somali refugee program is predicated on a lie." His wife, Katie Miller, issued a more direct and equally unsubstantiated response, writing, "Every time Ilhan Omar goes on TV it increases public support to deport all Somalis."
The situation highlights a deepening national divide over immigration policy, with advocates warning that inflammatory language from high-profile figures risks inciting violence and further marginalizing established immigrant communities who are legally present in the United States.
