A sprawling fraud scandal that has rocked Minnesota’s social services system has become a flashpoint in national politics, with President Donald Trump seizing on the allegations to attack the state’s Somali community and justify a sweeping federal crackdown.
The scandal involves the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars from taxpayer-funded programs intended to feed children, house the disabled, and provide autism therapy. Federal prosecutors say the schemes, which began during the Biden administration, largely involved individuals of Somali descent — though the vast majority of Minnesota’s 80,000 Somali residents are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.
To date, the Department of Justice has charged 98 defendants in Minnesota fraud-related cases, 85 of whom are of Somali descent. Sixty-four defendants have already been convicted. Prosecutors have described the fraud as “staggering, industrial-scale” theft, with one estimating that half or more of the roughly $18 billion in Medicaid funds that supported 14 Minnesota-run programs since 2018 may have been stolen.
The Feeding Our Future Scheme
The first public sign of a major problem came in 2022, when federal prosecutors began charging defendants in connection with a program aimed at feeding hungry children. Attorney General Merrick Garland called it the country’s largest pandemic relief fraud scheme.
The prosecutors focused on a Minneapolis nonprofit called Feeding Our Future, which became a partner to dozens of local businesses that enrolled as feeding sites. State agencies reimbursed the group and its partners for invoices claiming to have fed tens of thousands of children. In reality, prosecutors said, most of the meals were nonexistent, and business owners spent the funds on luxury cars, houses, and real estate projects abroad.
A federal jury convicted founder Aimee Bock, who is not Somali, and co-defendant Salim Said for their roles in the $250 million scheme. Bock was convicted of seven federal charges, including bribery, and faces a possible sentence of more than 30 years. The vast majority of roughly 70 people charged in the case are members of the state’s Somali community.
The Viral Video and Federal Response
The controversy intensified in December 2025 when a conservative influencer named Nick Shirley posted a viral video alleging widespread fraud at Somali-run child care centers. The video, which had over 132 million views on X, prompted a swift federal response.
The Trump administration halted federal child care payments to the state and launched a highly visible crackdown. FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi sought to signal that their agencies had been on the case before the video appeared, though the investigations had begun years earlier under the Biden administration.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Patel both announced an increase in operations in Minnesota. The administration deployed hundreds of federal agents to the state, leading to the deaths of two people during an immigration operation in Minneapolis before the operation was later eased.
Trump’s Rhetoric
Trump has repeatedly singled out Minnesota’s Somali population for criticism. In a December 2025 social media post, he asserted, without evidence, that “up to 90%” of “the Minnesota fraud” could be traced to people who arrived in the state “illegally” from Somalia, and he called to “send them back from where they came, Somalia”.
During a Cabinet meeting in May 2026, he declared, “The Somalians, what they’ve done to Minnesota, the Somalians, crooked as hell,” and said, “They’re all crooks”. He has also called Somali immigrants “garbage” and said he did not want them in the U.S.
The Political Battle
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, has been on the defensive. Walz has said his administration has spent years cracking down on fraud by “referring cases to law enforcement, shutting down and auditing high-risk programs”. He has also accused Trump of “politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans”.
Republicans have blamed Walz for the fraud, arguing that his administration was slow to act. The House Oversight Committee has called Walz to testify. The fraud could be a major issue in the 2026 gubernatorial race as Walz seeks a third term.
The Bottom Line
A sprawling fraud scandal in Minnesota has led to the prosecution of dozens of individuals, most of Somali descent, for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from taxpayer-funded social programs. President Trump has seized on the issue to attack the state’s Somali community and justify a sweeping federal crackdown. The scandal has become a potent political issue, with Gov. Tim Walz on the defensive and Republicans accusing him of negligence. The vast majority of Minnesota’s Somali residents are U.S. citizens, and community leaders say the actions of a few are unfairly tarnishing the entire community.
