Somali Lawmaker Blows Whistle on ‘Fraud Pipeline’ as Trump Takes Action

One case that drew particular attention was a COVID‑era $250 million fraud scheme involving the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which falsely billed state and federal agencies for meals it claimed to distribute but largely did not provide. The founder of that group and many others were indicted and convicted.

Media and political focus on these cases increased even more sharply when YouTuber Nick Shirley published videos in late December 2025 alleging widespread fraud at Somali‑run childcare centers, based on visits during hours when those centers were closed. That video went viral, being shared and amplified by national political figures, though Minnesota regulators later found that many of the centers were in fact operating normally when inspected, and they cautioned that the initial claims lacked clear evidence for fraud at the specific sites visited by Shirley.

In response to the heightened scrutiny — fueled in part by online social media attention — the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services froze certain federal child care funding to Minnesota, and the Trump administration increased federal presence in the state to pursue broader alleged fraud across multiple programs.