Trump slams IBM for firing 500 workers to move jobs to India, threatens to levy 35% tax

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has accused US tech giant IBM of laying off 500 workers in Minneapolis and shifting their jobs to India and other countries as he warned of levying a 35% tax on companies doing so if he is elected.

"IBM laid off 500 workers in Minneapolis and moved their jobs to India and other countries. A Trump administration will stop the jobs from leaving America, and we will stop the jobs from leaving Minnesota," Trump said in his speech yesterday in Minneapolis, as part of efforts to woo voters in Minnesota state which has been a Democrat stronghold.

"If a company wants to leave Minnesota, fire their workers and move to another country and then ship their products back into the United States, we will make them pay a 35% tax. We will also unleash American energy including shale oil, natural gas and clean coal," he said.

Trump said he will cancel all "harmful" Obama regulations that hurt Minnesota farmers, workers and small businesses.

"We will become a rich nation once again. But to be a rich nation, we must also be a safe nation," he said.

He claimed that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton wants a 550% increase in Syrian refugees pouring into the US, wants virtually unlimited immigration and refugee admissions from the most dangerous regions of the world.

"Her plan will import generations of terrorism, extremism and radicalism into your schools and communities. When I'm elected President, we will suspend the Syrian Refugee Programme and we will keep radical Islamic terrorists out of our country," Trump said.

"Here, in Minnesota, you've seen firsthand the problems caused with faulty refugee vetting, with large numbers of Somali Refugees coming into your state without your knowledge, support or approval and with some then joining ISIS and spreading their extremist views," he added.

He asserted that a Trump administration will not admit any refugees without the support of the local community where they are being placed.

"And we will pause admissions from terror-prone regions until a full security assessment has been performed, and until proven vetting mechanisms have been established," he said.

A Trump administration will also secure and defend the borders of the US, he said, reiterating that he will build a wall along the Mexico border.

"Hillary supports totally open borders, and strongly supports Sanctuary Cities like San Francisco where Kate Steinle was murdered by an illegal immigrant deported 5 times.

Thousands of Americans would be alive today if not for the open border policies of Obama-Clinton," Trump said.

--PTI