In a Social post on December 31, 2025, President Donald Trump claimed that “up to 90%” of fraud in Minnesota was caused by individuals who entered the country “illegally” from Somalia. The accuracy of this claim is contested by current data and official reports from the 2026 period.
Demographic Data of Defendants
- Somali Descent: Federal data from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota confirms that more than 90% of individuals charged in several high-profile fraud cases—specifically those involving Feeding Our Future (child nutrition) and recent housing and autism therapy schemes—are of Somali descent.
- Immigration Status: Contrary to the claim that these individuals are “illegal,” the majority of the Somali community in Minnesota (estimated at 84,000) are American citizens. Roughly 87% of foreign-born Somalis in the state are naturalized citizens, and 58% of the total population was born in the U.S..
Scope of the Fraud
- Feeding Our Future: This case involved an alleged $300 million theft of federal funds meant to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Expanded Estimates: Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson has estimated that total fraud across various state programs could exceed $1 billion, though independent reviews by the Minnesota Star Tribune in late 2025 suggested documented losses were closer to $152 million at that time.
- Terrorism Allegations: While some reports claimed funds were diverted to the terrorist group al-Shabaab, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated in December 2025 that investigators had found no substantiated proof of such links.
Policy Response
- ICE Operations: Following these cases, the Trump administration increased ICE operations in the Twin Cities area and announced plans to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis.
Denaturalization: The administration is also reviewing cases for the potential denaturalization of U.S. citizens of Somali descent if they are convicted of fraud.
