Bernie Moreno

A Columbus city department's social media post incorrectly stated the Somali flag would be raised at city hall.

The inaccurate post, which was later deleted, drew criticism from Republican politicians and commentators.

Columbus has the second-largest Somali immigrant population in the U.S., and local Somali-American leaders say the backlash is rooted in bigotry.

An "inaccurate" and now-deleted social media post July 1 from the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department about raising the Somali flag at City Hall sparked backlash from high-powered Republicans.

Jennifer Fening, a spokesperson for Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, said that "a social media post created by a city department falsely stated that City Hall would raise the Somalian flag in recognition of Somali Independence Day. While the City recognizes and respects the aspirations of people around the world to live in freedom, this post was inaccurate and has been deleted."

Columbus has the second largest Somali immigrant population in America after Minnesota. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 30,000 Somalis call Ohio home, though local leaders say the true population is about double.

The Dispatch visited City Hall around 3:20 p.m. on July 1 and did not see a Somali flag flying, but an American and a city of Columbus flag were flying.

In the now-deleted post shared on Facebook and X, the Recreation and Parks Department said that as "we celebrate the unification of ... Somaliland into the Somali Republic in 1960, City Hall will be raising the flag of Somalia." The post on X gained traction after Ohio Republican U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno and others shared their disapproval with the post.

"This action by Columbus is a total disgrace and takes away from the epic celebration on Saturday of this country's 250 year celebration," Moreno wrote.

Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy for the Trump administration, said "Columbus, Ohio (is) raising the flag of Somalia for America 250."

Others, including state Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, and Republican Congressional Candidate Derek Merrin also denounced the post on social media. Fox News has also shared a story about the social media post and negative reactions from conservatives.

The post was deleted some time shortly before 3 p.m. from X, and edited on Facebook to simply share a happy Somali Independence Day message.

A spokesperson for the department did not respond to requests from The Dispatch for comment.

Columbus City Hall and the Ohio Statehouse have previously held ceremonies to mark Somali Independence Day in recent years, but no such event was planned for July 1 at City Hall.

Columbus held a Somali Independence Day event at City Hall in July 2025 where a flag was displayed next to a podium, but not raised on a flag pole. A Somali flag-raising ceremony on the Ohio Statehouse grounds happened as recently as 2021.

Somali-Americans in Columbus celebrate two Independence Days

Kawther Musa, a Somali-American who's executive director of the nonprofit Ohio Somali Book Fair, helped organize Somali Independence Day celebrations in Columbus for years.

Musa said that, like many other immigrant communities, they want to honor their home country's culture with food, traditions and the Somali flag. But she said they also celebrate on the Fourth of July.

"We keep holding American values," Musa said. "It doesn’t mean they are less loyal to the U.S. We celebrate both, value both heritages."

Musa was not part of planning a Somali Independence Day celebration this year because she could not fundraise enough. She said local Somali businesses that have funded the celebration in the past are scared of being attacked on social media.

State Rep. Ismail Mohamed, D-Columbus, who is Somali-American, told The Dispatch the level of bigotry and xenophobia targeted at his community is unfortunate.

"The city of Columbus has been a great partner and phenomenal in their support of the Somali community and their diversity," Mohamed said. "The backlash is coming from a place of racism and bigotry."

Mohamed Ali, a Somali-American resident of Columbus and host of the annual Somali Cultural Festival, told The Dispatch he's disappointed by unfairness and discrimination against Somali Americans.

"We celebrate Israel, Italian Americans, Irish heritage; Somali Americans are no different than any other community," Ali said. "It's campaign time. So-called leaders, they run out of ideas, initiatives, legislation to improve the life of the people. Instead, they want to fearmonger among their base."

This story was updated to add an additional comment.

Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at [email protected] or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report