The Targeting of Somali Refugees Sparks Community Fear and Instability 

Spelman College Political Science Professor Speaks with FOX 5 Atlanta Following the Termination of Protected Status for Somali Refugees 

Last month, refugees from Somalia lost their Temporary Protected Status as a result of the U.S. government’s approach to immigration. The revocation of protected status follows allegations of fraud involving Somalis in Minnesota.  In metro Atlanta, where an estimated 7,000 to 9,000 Somalians live, the termination of TPS has created "uneasy times" for the community.  

To learn more about the negative impact of this decision, FOX 5 interviewed Dorian Brown Crosby, Ph.D., founding director of the refugee and forced migration studies minor and associate professor of political science at Spelman College.  

Dr. Crosby, who studied the Somali community in the South and wrote a book on her findings titled “Somalis in the Neo-South: African Immigration, Politics and Race,” said the harmful allegations against the community have had a negative, nationwide impact. According to her, dated Hollywood movie portrayals of Somalis as terrorists have contributed to the treatment they have received while in the U.S.   

Somalis across the United States are definitely feeling the impact of the fraud allegations in Minneapolis," said Dr. Crosby. "The idea that all Somalis are pirates, that all Somalis are terrorists or criminals is an old narrative.” 

With thousands of Somalis living in metro Atlanta, this specific immigration target has caused much instability for the community, according to Dr. Crosby. 

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