Overview
- At a Wednesday Oversight Committee session, Rep. Brandon Gill cited figures for Somali-headed households in Minnesota — 54% on food stamps, 73% on Medicaid, 81% on welfare, and 78% still on welfare after ten years — while witness Brendan Ballou argued large-scale Somali immigration makes the state stronger and objected to the term “native Minnesotans.”
- Chairman James Comer said 98 defendants have been charged in Minnesota fraud cases, including 85 he described as being of Somali descent.
- Investigators describe schemes involving daycares, food programs, and clinics that allegedly diverted up to $9 billion through inflated or fabricated services.
- House GOP leaders escalated policy calls, with Rep. Tom Emmer urging deportation of Somalis convicted in the fraud cases and Rep. Wesley Hunt proposing a bill requiring certain refugees to self-deport after 180 days.
- Democrats, led by ranking member Robert Garcia, opposed blanket accusations toward Somalis and emphasized holding fraudsters accountable while protecting access to services for innocent recipients.