You know whom this government shutdown has hit hardest? Somalis. Like ‘refugees’ in Arizona.
Beginning November 1, refugees in Arizona will no longer be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps.
Once the application is submitted, it takes an average of 12.5 months to receive the card, according to Meheria Habibi, the deputy director of programs at Tucson’s International Rescue Committee.
She spoke at last Tuesday’s Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting, where her client Sumaya Ahmed, who is from Somalia, addressed the board.
“SNAP made sure there was food on our table when we were learning how to navigate life in here. It gave us the ability and dignity. It allowed us to focus on getting jobs and going to school and building new lives here,” Ahmed said.
By SNAP, Ahmed means American taxpayers. It’s not just Arizona. Life is hard in Somalia without as much American free stuff.
Real risk of famine in Somalia due to aid cuts: ‘We don’t know where support will come from’
Maybe Rep. Ilhan Omar? Her current net worth is looking pretty good. Maybe Somalia’s first daughter can bail it out.
Omar reported in her latest financial disclosure that she and her husband, former political consultant Tim Mynett, accumulated a net worth at the end of 2024 ranging from at least $6 million to $30 million.
$30 million ought to buy quite a few hamburgers. But of course that defeats the whole purpose of looting us.
