Overview
- House Majority Whip Tom Emmer posted that Somalis found to have defrauded taxpayers should be deported and that he would back changing federal law to revoke naturalized citizenship.
- Federal probes are expanding as DHS confirms investigators are operating in Minnesota and the FBI adds resources to examine alleged large‑scale fraud across multiple programs.
- Authorities have charged 98 people so far, 85 of Somali descent, as prosecutors review suspicious billing in 14 Medicaid‑funded programs with working loss estimates reaching as high as $9 billion.
- A viral video by independent journalist Nick Shirley alleging inactive, state‑funded child‑care and learning centers intensified inspections and public scrutiny of the programs.
- Civil‑rights advocates and legal experts criticized Emmer’s proposal, and prosecutors have not brought terrorism‑financing charges, with one former U.S. attorney saying suspects sought personal gain rather than funding overseas groups.