LEWISTON — Fatuma Hussein spent much of her Friday on the phone. 

As the head of the Lewiston-based Immigrant Resource Center of Maine, formerly United Somali Women of Maine, Hussein fielded calls and emails from native Mainers and Somali immigrants and refugees. 

The theme: Donald Trump.

“It’s been a topic of discussion,” Hussein said.

That discussion wasn’t flattering to the Republican presidential candidate, who connected Somali refugees to crime as part of his speech in Portland on Thursday.

“I think it’s very, very important to know that Mr. Trump does not represent the vast majority of Americans,” Hussein said. “He doesn’t speak for many Americans, neither does he speak for Mainers. 

“Many of us have called Maine home,” Hussein said. “We’re good citizens. We are peaceful people. We are people who contribute to the economy of this state. … He tries to put fear in people. He tries to divide communities. Peaceful communities. He tries to promote anger and promote fear.”

Hussein called Trump a “bully,” a privileged man who’s very ignorant, arrogant, and insensitive, who attacks people all the time.

During  his speech on Thursday, Trump said, “We’ve just seen many, many crimes getting worse all the time and as Maine knows, a major destination for Somali refugees. Right? Am I right? Well, they’re all talking about it. Maine. Somali. Refugees.”

Trump then went on to talk about Somali refugees in Minnesota and a 2015 piece in the conservative Washington Times that said the Somali refugee community was stressing the state’s welfare program and terrorists were potentially recruiting young Somalis in that state.

Dozens of people gathered in front of Portland City Hall Friday afternoon to defend Maine’s Somali community.

“Bottom line, he is attacking people; he’s attacking communities,” said Alain Nahimana with the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition in Portland, a few hours before the rally.

However, not everyone agreed. Lewiston’s mayor, Republican Robert Macdonald, had a different take on Trump.