Saturday, August 06, 2016
By Rebecca Savransky
PHOTO: Greg Nash
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) slammed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's recent comments about her state's Somali community.
“Mr. Trump’s statements disparaging immigrants who have come to this country legally are particularly unhelpful,” Collins said in a statement, according to The Boston Globe.
“Maine has benefited from people from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and, increasingly, Africa — including our friends from Somalia.”
Trump, during a Thursday rally in Portland, Maine, referenced the state's Somali community as an example of refugees "coming from among the most dangerous territories and countries."
"We've just seen many, many crimes getting worse all the time, and as Maine knows — a major destination for Somali refugees — right, am I right?" Trump said during the rally.
"Well, they're talking about it," he continued.
"Maine. Somali refugees. We admit hundreds of thousands — you admit, into Maine, and to other places in the United States — hundreds of thousands of refugees."
The GOP nominee's comments about the Somali community drew criticism in Portland.
Collins said immigration to the state has been "imperfect," but criticized the GOP nominee for targeting people who have come to the country legally.
The Maine senator has criticized Trump in the past. Collins said at the Republican convention that she hasn't ruled out voting for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, though she admitted that scenario would be "extremely unlikely."