PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine says Donald Trump’s recent comments about her state’s Somali community were “disparaging” and “unhelpful.”

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, appeared at a rally in Portland on Thursday. He cited the state’s Somali community as an example of refugees “coming from among the most dangerous territories and countries” and added that “has to stop.”

The comments drew widespread criticism in Portland, a liberal city that is the largest by population in the state. Collins released a statement Friday that said Maine has a long history of benefiting from immigration, “including our friends from Somalia.”


Collins’ statement says immigration to Maine has been “imperfect,” but it also criticizes Trump for taking aim at immigrants who came to America legally.