A Republican state lawmaker in Utah has faced widespread condemnation after demanding the deportation of 'foreign invaders' in response to a congressional campaign announcement by a young Somali-American man.
Campaign Announcement Sparks Backlash
Liban Mohamed, a 27-year-old US citizen, announced his campaign for a newly created House district in a video earlier this month. Mohamed, who was born and raised in Utah by Somali immigrant parents, stated his story was 'rooted in Utah' and spoke of a community that 'cherished service'.
His announcement prompted a strong reaction from Republican state representative Trevor Lee. On the social media platform X, Lee wrote: 'This is what happens when past policies to incentivize foreigners and not protect your culture run unchecked.'
He called to 'roll back all benefits' and advocated for 'prosecuting and deporting foreign invaders who shouldn’t be here in the first place'. Lee's comment was a reply to a post from the Libertarian Party in New Hampshire that made racially charged remarks about Somalia.
Political Condemnation and Defence
The Utah Democratic Party swiftly condemned what it called a 'flood of racist and religious hate' directed at Mohamed. The party accused Republicans of attacking Mohamed based on his ethnicity rather than engaging on issues of character or policy, and slammed former President Donald Trump for 'normalizing and enabling this behavior'.
In response, constituent Chad Iverson emailed multiple Republican representatives, including House Speaker Mike Schultz, calling for Lee's censure. Iverson described Lee's conduct as that of a 'bigot and a racist' and urged fellow Republicans to speak out.
The email chain, reported by local outlet KSL, revealed mixed responses from Lee's colleagues. Some, like Senator Derrin Owens, requested concrete evidence of racism. Others, including Representative Nicholeen Peck and Senator John Johnson, defended Lee's right to express his opinions online, suggesting constituents could vote him out if they disapproved.
Representative Troy Shelley offered a robust defence, writing that silencing a representative for their viewpoint was 'common practice in third-world countries'.
Lee's Defence and Wider Context
Lee defended his post in a statement to KSL, asserting the accusations of bigotry were 'completely unfounded'. He claimed his comments focused on policy: 'the need to enforce our nation's immigration laws consistently, protect American culture and sovereignty'.
Mohamed is running in a Democratic primary for Utah's first congressional district against five other candidates. A graduate of the University of Utah, he has worked for tech giants Meta and TikTok. The district itself is newly established, created by a judge in November, and marks the first time in decades that the predominantly Republican state has a district considered safely Democratic.
Nate Blouin, a Democratic primary opponent of Mohamed, criticised the Republican response, suggesting GOP legislators were more focused on defending Lee than on issues like air quality or immigration enforcement.
