SAEDNEWS: FBI Director Kash Patel has warned that fraudsters in Minnesota could face deportation after a YouTuber exposed an alleged multimillion-dollar scam in the state, fueling a broader scandal over large-scale social services fraud linked to the local Somali community.
An independent reporter, Nick Shirley, last week posted a video documenting visits to several childcare and healthcare centers in Minnesota that he claimed were operating as non-functional fronts. The facilities were reportedly run by individuals from the local Somali community. Shirley later estimated that the sites had collectively received more than $110 million in state funding.
The video spread widely over the weekend, prompting criticism from lawmakers and public figures who accused state authorities and Governor Tim Walz of failing to act, according to RT.
In a post on X on Sunday, FBI official Patel said the bureau was “aware of recent social media reports in Minnesota” and emphasized that federal investigators had already deployed additional personnel and resources to the state to combat large-scale fraud involving federal programs — even before the video went viral.
Patel referenced the Feeding Our Future case, in which investigators uncovered a $250 million fraud scheme in Minnesota that misappropriated federal food assistance intended for low-income children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The investigation revealed extensive money laundering activity centered within parts of the state’s Somali immigrant community — the largest immigrant group in Minnesota — and has so far resulted in 78 indictments and 57 convictions. Subsequent reports have suggested that additional schemes targeting social welfare programs may have caused losses amounting to billions of dollars.
Some reports have claimed that misappropriated funds were transferred overseas through informal financial networks, with some potentially reaching al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group based in Somalia.
Patel said individuals suspected of fraud are now being referred to immigration authorities for possible denaturalization and deportation. He described the Feeding Our Future case as “just the tip of a very large iceberg,” indicating that the investigation remains ongoing.
“We will continue to follow the money and protect children,” Patel wrote.
Earlier this month, unverified videos circulated online claiming to show FBI raids on healthcare businesses allegedly linked to fraud.
Governor Walz has previously pledged to prosecute those responsible and to implement a statewide fraud-prevention initiative using forensic auditors. Former President Donald Trump, however, criticized Walz, calling Minnesota under his leadership “a hub of fraudulent money laundering” controlled by “gangs” of Somali refugees.
