US administration uses $300 million child meal fraud case, where 85 of 98 defendants are Somali, to justify raids and harsh immigration policies.
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is using a large-scale public benefits fraud case to justify immigration raids and stricter policies targeting Minnesota’s Somali community.
Federal prosecutors have charged 98 people with embezzling $300 million in grants meant for free children’s meals that never existed.
Attorney General Pam Bondi noted that 85 defendants are “of Somali descent,” with 57 already convicted.
“What’s happening in Minnesota is a microcosm of the immigration fraud in our system,” Vice President JD Vance stated on social media.
Republican officials accuse local Democratic authorities of ignoring warnings to avoid appearing racist or harming their political constituency.
Democratic Governor Tim Walz rejects the accusation of turning a blind eye.
The case, public since 2022, regained attention after a viral video from content creator Nick Shirley claimed to show daycare centres siphoning public money.
The video garnered 127 million views on X and was featured on Fox News, resonating with Trump’s political base.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said hundreds of investigators are now targeting local Minneapolis businesses.
“We believe that there is rampant fraud, whether it be daycare centers, health care centers, or other organizations,” she told Fox News.
Federal health officials have frozen all child care payments to Minnesota as part of the crackdown.
Republican Congressman Tom Emmer called for the “denaturalization and deportation of every Somali engaged in fraud in Minnesota.”
President Donald Trump previously ended Temporary Protected Status for Somalis, accusing “Somali gangs” of terrorising Minnesotans.
Trump later escalated his rhetoric, calling Somalia a country that “stinks” and labelling Somali-American congresswoman Ilhan Omar “trash.”
A surge in immigration raids followed, which Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said created a “dangerous atmosphere of chaos and instability.”
Democratic State Senator Zaynab Mohamed, a Somali immigrant, condemned the administration’s actions.
“Trump is scapegoating a tiny piece of the population,” she said. “This is not about crime. It’s not about safety. This is about purging people like me from this country.”
