The Myth of the “Dangerous” Immigrant

Recent political rhetoric has targeted Afghan and Somali immigrants with vitriolic language, labeling them as “garbage,” claiming they are “terrorizing” our communities, and suggesting they are a drain on our resources.

In sociology and political science, this specific type of hostility is called xenophobia (the irrational fear or dislike of people from other countries) or nativism (the policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants). When these attacks pathologize specific nationalities, assigning them negative inherent traits, they also cross the threshold into racism.

Regardless of the terminology used, these statements share one common flaw: they are empirically, statistically, and demonstrably false.

When we strip away the fear-mongering and look at the hard data, crime rates, economic output, and educational achievement, a very different picture emerges. Somali and Afghan Americans are not just “fitting in”; they are outperforming, innovating, and serving the United States.

Notable Contributions to American Society

The narrative that immigrants from Afghanistan and Somalia “contribute nothing” is an insult to the thousands of professionals from these backgrounds who keep our country running. We are not talking about outliers; we are talking about a consistent pattern of service and excellence.

In Defense of the Nation:

Afghan Americans have served with distinction in the U.S. Armed Forces. To start with, let’s talk about the SIV Cohort (Service Before Citizenship).

The “Special Immigrant Visa” (SIV) program is specifically designed for Afghans who were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government. Over 17,000 Afghans (plus their families) have been resettled under this program. These are individuals who patrolled with U.S. Marines and Army units as interpreters and cultural advisors, often targeted for assassination by the Taliban because of their loyalty to the U.S. mission. Additionally, a few specific examples, and their LinkedIn Pages as well so you can check them out!

• Kawa Mawlayee, the first Afghan-born Green Beret, who served over 21 years, including combat deployments in Fallujah and service in the 5th Special Forces Group.
• Capt. Sher Najafy (Special Operations): Born in Afghanistan, Najafy served in the Afghan National Army working alongside U.S. forces. He immigrated to the U.S., enlisted in the Army Reserve, earned his citizenship, and is now a Captain in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
• Zahra Karinshak (Air Force): A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Karinshak (whose father is Iranian-born, representing the broader region often targeted) served as an intelligence officer during the Gulf War before being elected to the Georgia State Senate.

In Medicine & Science:

Sub-Saharan African Immigrants are among the most educated in the U.S., with 28% of those employed in the healthcare sector working as doctors or nurses. The medical field is bolstered by experts like:

• Dr. Qais Al-Awqati (Afghan-born), a Columbia University professor whose research revolutionized our understanding of septic shock, saving countless lives.
• Dr. Ali Said Faqi (Somali-born) is a leading toxicologist whose work in drug safety testing ensures the medicines in our cabinets are safe to use.
• Dr. Anisa Ibrahim: A Somali refugee who was treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle as a child. Today, she is the Medical Director of that very same clinic.

And many, many more. In fact, the Somali American Medical Association (SAMA) and the Afghan Medical Professionals Association of America (AMPAA) include many hundreds of hospitalists, pediatricians, psychiatrists, and surgeons.

In Public Service:

Somali Americans have integrated rapidly into civic life. There is simply no way to catalog all of their contributions all across the country, but here are a few well known examples:

• Abdirahman Ali, for example, rose to the rank of Commander in the Minneapolis Police Department, helping to secure the very streets critics claim his community is “terrorizing.”
• Deqa Dhalac: In 2021, she became the first Somali-American mayor in the U.S. (South Portland, Maine), elected by a predominantly white constituency.
• Safiya Wazir: A former refugee who fled the Taliban, she was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives, proving her appeal to New England voters.
• Kayse Jama: The first former refugee to serve in the Oregon State Senate.

The Reality: Crime & Incarceration Rates

The most pernicious lie told about these communities is that they import crime. This is a fabrication that relies on anecdotes rather than data. When we look at the numbers, the “dangerous immigrant” narrative completely collapses.

According to extensive data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Cato Institute, immigrants are significantly less likely to be incarcerated than native-born Americans.

• The Safety Gap: Native-born white Americans are incarcerated at a rate of approximately 1,072 per 100,000.
• Immigrant Comparison: In stark contrast, immigrants from the Middle East/Asia (including Afghanistan) have an incarceration rate of just 88 per 100,000 – 12 times lower than the native-born white population!
• Somali Statistics: Black immigrants (the demographic category including Somali Americans) have an incarceration rate of roughly 364 per 100,000 – about 1/3rd that of native-born white citizens.

One additional data point: approximately 87% of foreign-born Somalis in Minnesota are naturalized U.S. citizens, a process that requires passing background checks and civics exams. Their community has one of the highest voter turnout and naturalization rates among immigrant groups, and the community has integrated deeply into American civic life, electing members to the U.S. Congress, the Minnesota State Legislature, and various city councils and school boards.

The Verdict: You are statistically safer in a neighborhood with a high concentration of Afghan or Somali immigrants than you are in the average native-born neighborhood!!

Economic Contributions & Entrepreneurship

Far from being a drain on the “social safety net,” refugees and immigrants from these regions are engines of economic revitalization. They often arrive with nothing, having fled failed societies with poverty and poor education, yet within a generation they become net contributors to the tax base.

• The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Refugees, a category that encompasses many Afghan and Somali arrivals, have an entrepreneurship rate of 13%, significantly higher than the 9% rate of native-born citizens.
• Revitalizing Main Street: In places like Minnesota, Somali entrepreneurs are credited with turning around declining commercial corridors. They have opened over 600 businesses, transforming boarded-up storefronts into tax-paying ventures that create jobs for everyone.
• Spending Power: Afghan newcomers alone are projected to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in annual earnings to the U.S. economy. Collectively, these groups hold billions in spending power, supporting local housing markets, grocery stores, and auto dealerships.

Heck a Somali immigrant was named Entrepreneur of the Year in the USA!!!

Educational Attainment: The Next Generation

Perhaps the most optimistic data point is the trajectory of the “Second Generation”, the children of these immigrants born or raised in the U.S. Critics often focus on the struggles of newly arrived refugees who may face language barriers. However, they ignore how quickly those gaps close.

• Outperforming the Average: Data shows that second-generation Americans from South Central Asia (Afghan diaspora) and Sub-Saharan Africa (Somali diaspora) frequently outperform the U.S. average in educational attainment.
• The Degree Gap: Children of immigrants from these regions are statistically more likely to hold a Bachelor’s degree than the average native-born white American.
• Commitment to Education: Studies of Somali youth in the Midwest have shown they report some of the highest levels of “commitment to education” of any demographic group, viewing academic success as a moral duty to their families and their new country.

Insights by Community

To understand why these groups succeed, we must look at their cultural values, values that align perfectly with traditional American ideals.

• Resilience as a Cultural Asset: Both Afghans and Somalis hail from nations that have endured decades of conflict. The individuals who make it to America have survived extreme adversity. This “survivor bias” means we’re receiving some of the most resilient, gritty, and determined individuals on the planet. They do not take freedom or opportunity for granted.
• Communal Support: These communities utilize tight-knit social networks to support one another, effectively creating their own private safety nets. This internal support system reduces reliance on state aid over time and accelerates business growth, as community members invest in each other’s startups.

The Bottom Line

The disparaging comments made about Afghan and Somali immigrants are not just insulting; they’re wrong – technically and morally. They’re a rejection of data in favor of prejudice. The facts are undeniable: these men and women serve in our military, cure our sick, police our streets, start businesses at higher rates than locals, and raise children who excel in our universities.

To call them “garbage” is a projection. To call them “dangerous” is a lie. They are, by every statistical measure, exemplary Americans.

And expressions of xenophobia against entire groups because of their origins is LITERALLY the same as racism based on the color of their skin.