Same here in Maine. In fact, many come here from Ohio and Georgia. One of them actually said to me once: “you know why so many Somalis come up here from Georgia?”
I said “no”
“too many black Americans in Georgia” he said squinting his nose with a look of discust on his face “can you understand them when they talk? They talk like ‘yo,ma....’” he tried to imitate the black American dialect.
He also told me that many of the Somalis come here from Europe (Europe’s quota of refugees). They get American VISAs in Europe (because they are considered citizens of Europe) and come here and live.
He and others have also told me that they can only bring one wife to the US and the others stay in Europe but they claim them on their income tax as dependents (they’ve never stepped foot in the US). If they do not have enough dependents to max it out (I think the max is 9 or 11) they borrow from their neighbor who may have extras above the max.
They’ve been known to slaughter their live goats (their food) in the bathtubs of their apartments and yes they do vote even though it’s not legal. I’ve seen a coworker in line waiting to vote who hadn’t even been in the US six months (back during the 2000 election).
I wrote my Senator. Nothing happened.
This all begs the question of why and how these people are here in the first place? The answer (in most cases) is because of our dangerous refugee policies which allows people to settle here who are simply not compatible with Western/American values.
There needs to be direct accountability for this. You mentioned that you contacted your senator; I’d like to see it so that before refugee settlements can be made, they have to get the approval of both US Senators from the state involved. Or from the House member whose districts are impacted. Or from governors and state legislatures.
Senator turned Governor Sam Brownback was one of the worst on this. He was a big, holier-than-thou supporter of refugee settlements in the US...so long as it’s not in Kansas!