Somalia is one of those countries that just can’t catch a break. Perched on an elbow of land known as the Horn of Africa jutting into the Indian Ocean, it is a semi-desert land that possesses very little in the way of natural resources above or below ground, so poverty has long been widespread. On top of that, Somalis have been plagued for decades by everything from recurring civil wars, to frequent droughts that create horrible famines, to an Islamic extremist organization called Al Shabaab whose terrorist attacks have not only inflicted death and destruction, but also destabilized a series of governments in the capital of Mogadishu. The Somalis who have sought refuge in the United States have not escaped this epidemic of bad luck. Most of them gravitated to Minnesota — a very different climate from their equatorial homeland, but a state with a great tradition of tolerance for newcomers. Generally speaking, they have done well there, raising families, starting careers, launching businesses, and contributing to their communities. They’ve even elected one of their own, Ilhan Omar, to Congress. OK, a lot of folks are extremely critical of her. Like it or not, though, hers is a classic immigrant success story. But now, despite all their successes, the bad luck streak has caught up with Minnesota Somalis. They are accused en masse of masterminding a multi-billion-dollar ripoff of federal funds. Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked them in vicious, racist language, banned further immigration from Somalia and ended existing legal protections for Somali nationals in the U.S. Masked ICE agents are roaming the streets of Minneapolis and invading schools, courthouses and even homes to handcuff them whether they are here legally or not. As so often happens in human history, though, constant hardships produce people who are resilient. And that’s the word for Somalis. Just ask the British who along with the Italians colonized the Horn of Africa up until it gained independence in 1960. The Brits found the Somalis they governed so stubborn and feisty that they dubbed them “the Irishmen of Africa.” It was both a complaint and a compliment. I report all this with considerable feeling because Somalia has played a large role in my life. I was a member of the first Peace Corps project sent to the newly independent nation in 1962. I met, fell in love with and married a fellow volunteer, and we were married in the northern city of Hargeisa by a Somali public official under Somali civil law. The only vow Marsa and I took under that rather unusual law was that neither of us would remarry without first divorcing the other. I like to brag that we’ve both kept that vow for 63 years, and counting. As for the fraud charges in Minnesota, no one has been tried, much less convicted yet, so it’s not clear how many Somalis were involved and how much was stolen. Those who are found guilty deserve prison and then deportation, of course. But for pity’s sake, Trump Co. should not go crazy over this. Every national group of immigrants that has come to this country has produced its share of criminals. We don’t punish and we don’t deport every single member of the group for the crimes of the few. If we did, the only ones left would be Native Americans. The people of Somalia have suffered more than their share of hard times. That doesn’t entitle them to special privileges, of course, and they’re not asking for that. All they want is equal opportunity and fair treatment under the law. The Trump administration must give them no less. Laird is a former chief editorial writer and op-ed page editor for the Daily News. ...read more read less