Trump’s attacks on Minnesota’s Somali community cast a spotlight on fraud cases

Trump's attacks on Minnesota's Somali community cast a spotlight on fraud cases

President Donald Trump has linked his administration’s immigration crackdown on Minnesota’s Somali community to fraud…

AP News

By STEVE KARNOWSKI

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — President Donald Trump has linked his administration’s immigration crackdown against Minnesota’s large Somali community to a series of fraud cases involving government programs in which many defendants have roots in the east African country.

Trump last week labeled Minnesota Somalis as “garbage” and said he didn’t want them in the U.S.

The president’s push comes as Republicans have stepped up their criticism of Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate, for his alleged failures in preventing the fraud. It’s already a major issue in the 2026 gubernatorial race as Walz seeks a third term.

Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the U.S. About 84,000 of the 260,000 Somalis in the U.S. live in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The overwhelming majority are American citizens. Almost 58% were born in the U.S and 87% of the foreign-born are naturalized citizens…