The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has surged personnel and investigative assets into the state of Minnesota, declaring a mission to dismantle large-scale fraud schemes that have exploited federal aid programmes.
Major Fraud Scheme Uncovered
FBI Director Kash Patel announced on social media that the agency has already dismantled a $250m fraud scheme which stole federal food aid intended for vulnerable children during the Covid-19 pandemic. This case has so far resulted in 78 indictments and 57 convictions.
Patel warned that this massive fraud is believed to be "just the tip of a very large iceberg". He indicated that some individuals involved are being referred to immigration officials for potential denaturalisation and deportation proceedings where applicable.
Political Context and Allegations
The announcement follows estimates from federal prosecutors that as much as $9bn has been stolen across various schemes linked to Minnesota's Somali population. This staggering figure is nearly equivalent to the entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Somalia.
The Trump administration has repeatedly portrayed the state's Somali immigrant community as a centre for widespread fraud, much of it allegedly perpetrated during the pandemic. Last month, former President Donald Trump ended legal protections for Somalis in Minnesota, accusing the state under its Democratic Governor, Tim Walz, of being "a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity".
Trump has made inflammatory remarks about Somali Americans, stating they "come from hell", "contribute nothing", and should "go back to where they came from". He has also targeted Minnesota's Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar with derogatory language.
Response and Escalating Tensions
Representative Ilhan Omar has fought back against what she calls Trump's "creepy and unhealthy" obsession with her and the Somali American community. "We are not, and I am not, someone to be intimidated," Omar stated earlier this month, "and we are not gonna be scapegoated."
Omar has raised alarms about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents pulling her constituents off the streets and has said she is being forced to address questions about her own immigration status. In a recent interview, she labelled Trump's immigration policy as "cruel" during his first term and "outright dangerous and severely inhumane" now, geared towards a "white supremacist view of what America should be".
The FBI's increased focus comes alongside viral social media reports, including a video by independent journalist Nick Shirley viewed 84 million times, which alleged a Minneapolis daycare received $4m in aid despite having no enrolled children. Patel confirmed the FBI had already deployed extra resources before this video sparked widespread online conversation.
Omar also faces scrutiny over her family's finances. Reports indicate her net worth with her husband surged dramatically, and their venture capital firm, Rose Lake Capital, recently removed details of key officers from its website. While Omar has not been accused of any wrongdoing, three individuals accused of defrauding the state have alleged ties to the congresswoman.
When questioned about her support for the Meals Act, a pandemic-era bill connected to some fraud systems, Omar defended it to Fox News Digital, asserting it "did help feed kids" and was not a contributor to the fraud.
