Overview
- Federal officials halted payments to the cited centers and ordered audits, requiring attendance logs, inspection reports and complaint histories before funds can resume.
- Minnesota regulators say they observed children during visits to the facilities within the past 10 months, undercutting assertions that the centers are empty.
- Several operators dispute the video’s methods and timing, with one citing security footage showing a visit during closed hours and another saying staff hesitated over fears the visitors were from immigration enforcement.
- The action arrives during broader state and federal probes of Minnesota social-service programs, with HHS also tightening verification rules for child-care funding nationwide.
- Minnesota Democrats condemned the restrictions as politically driven, as community leaders reported harassment of Somali American-run centers and the president’s remarks about Somali immigrants drew criticism.