President tells The Squad: ‘go home’

Donald Trump has been accused of xenophobia for telling minority Congresswomen to go back to where they came from.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar with fellow Democrat Haley Stevens. Picture: AFP.

Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi has accused Donald Trump of xenophobia and trying to create a white America after he called on four minority liberal congresswomen to go back to where they came from.

The US President’s comments came as immigration authorities launched small-scale operations to arrest undocumented families in a start to Mr Trump’s plan to ­deport thousands of immigrants.

Mr Trump’s Twitter attack had the effect of uniting a Democratic Party that has been increasingly divided by a fallout between its centrist House of Representatives Speaker Ms Pelosi and the four freshmen liberal congresswomen.

The President said the “Progressive Democratic Congresswomen” should go back to their countries of origin and fix them up first before they lectured on how the US should be run.

He claimed they “originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world”. “Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it is done.”

So interesting to see “Progressive” Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly......

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2019

....and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2019

....it is done. These places need your help badly, you can’t leave fast enough. I’m sure that Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2019

Mr Trump was referring to the four new congresswomen of ­colour, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortex, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley.

Know as “The Squad”, the four women have assumed a leading role in the progressive liberal wing of the party and have exerted pressure on Ms Pelosi to steer the party to the left. They have also led ­public criticism of the President, who has clashed with them on a range of issues.

Mr Trump’s attack came after a week in which Ms Pelosi has traded barbs with The Squad as Democrats battle for the heart and soul of the party as it prepares for next year’s elections.

Ms Pelosi put aside her frustration with The Squad and ­defended them against the President’s attack. “When Donald Trump tells four American congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms his plan to “Make America Great Again” has always been about making America white again,” she tweeted.

“Our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power.”

All of the women were born in the US except Ms Omar, the daughter of Somali refugees, who was born in Mogadishu.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez was born in the US to parents of Puerto Rican descent, while Ms Tlaib was born in the US to Palestinian immigrants and Ms Pressley, an African American, was also born in the US.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez, commonly known as AOC, hit back against the President’s attack. “You are angry because you can’t conceive of an America that includes us. You rely on a frightened America for your plunder,” she tweeted. “You won’t accept a nation that sees healthcare as a right or education as a #1 priority, especially where we’re the ones fighting for it.”

Ms Omar, who has clashed with the President over her criticism of Israel and comments on the 9/11 terrorist attacks, accused Mr Trump of fuelling racism.

“You are stoking white nationalism because you are angry that people like us are serving in congress and fighting against your hate-filled agenda,” she tweeted.

Ms Pelosi last week challenged The Squad in closed-door caucus meetings, calling on it not to use ­social media to attack fellow Democrats, saying it didn’t have a ­“following” and had only its votes in the Democrat caucus.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez then outraged many in the party by ­accusing Ms Pelosi of singling out minorities in her criticism of them.

The multi-day operation by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents is expected to target hundreds of recently ­arrived families in about 10 cities who have been ordered deported by an immigration judge.

The removal operations are meant to deter a surge in Central American families fleeing poverty and gang violence in their home countries, with many seeking ­asylum in the US.

Immigrants and their advocates were on standby for mass ­arrests, but by Sunday night (yesterday AEST) there were reports of only low-profile operations in a few cities.

Under Barack Obama, ICE ­deported 409,849 people in 2012, falling to below 250,000 in 2015 and 2016. In comparison, under Mr Trump ICE deported 226,119 in 2017 and 282,242 as of June.

The operations came as the Trump administration faces criticism for housing immigrants in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions and there are concerns about migrant children being separated from adults by US authorities.

Cameron Stewart is also US contributor for Sky News Australia