The Department of Homeland Security began deploying thousands of federal agents to Minnesota’s Twin Cities over the weekend as part of a massive surge in immigration enforcement after President Donald Trump attacked state leaders over a spate of welfare fraud cases that allegedly cost the state billions.
The decision to deploy as many as 2,000 agents follows months of ire from the Trump administration about welfare fraud cases involving some Somali residents of the state, whom the president referred to in December as “garbage.” Minnesota has a population of around 79,000 Somali people, many of whom live in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul region and have recently been targeted by DHS.
In a statement to NOTUS, a DHS spokesperson confirmed the surge and said the operation has already resulted in a large number of arrests.
“While for the safety of our officers we do not get into law enforcement footprint, DHS has surged law enforcement and has already made more than 1,000 arrests of murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and gang members,” the department’s assistant secretary for public affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, told the network.
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In a press release Monday, the White House boasted about its efforts in Minnesota to “crush” fraud in the state. That included freezing child care payments and investigating several areas of possible fraud related to small businesses, labor, SNAP and public housing. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X last week that 98 Minnesotans have already been charged in fraud-related cases.
The fraud cases in question go as far back as a COVID-era food program, when dozens were accused of running a fake nonprofit that collected taxpayer funds. There have been other fraud cases in the interim as well, but public interest in the topic skyrocketed at the end of December after a viral video by right-wing YouTuber Nick Shirley appeared to show federally funded daycare centers with no children present — though the claims have since been disputed, with the Minnesota Office of Inspector General finding that the centers were all “operating as expected.”
Just days after Shirley’s video, the Department of Health and Human Services paused child care payments to the state, cutting off a $185 million annual revenue stream for providers.
On Monday, HHS also ended a Biden-era rule that based payments to child care providers on enrollment. Now payments will be based on attendance, and the statement specifically cited that this change would include programs under investigation in Minnesota.
“When controls are not in place, bad actors can bill for children who aren’t there,” the assistant secretary for family support, Alex Adams, wrote in a statement. “Families and taxpayers deserve proof that services are being delivered to children.”
Also on Monday, Gov. Tim Walz pulled out of the race for his 2026 gubernatorial seat due in part to increased criticism around the fraud cases.
CBS News reported that the operation will be 30 days, building on DHS’s previous investigations in the state, according to law enforcement with knowledge of the plans. The scale of the operation will ramp up the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on the abuse of social welfare programs.
Multiple outlets have reported that Gregory Bovino, a controversial Border Patrol commander, is expected to help lead DHS’s efforts in Minnesota. Bovino led a recent operation in Chicago that saw violent and aggressive enforcement tactics, sometimes against U.S. citizens.
“The Trump Administration is employing a whole-of-government approach to address the rampant fraud that Tim Walz has allowed to plague Minnesota,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told NOTUS in a statement. “Hardworking Minnesotans shouldn’t have to watch their tax dollars be funneled into Somali scams thanks to their corrupt Governor. As President Trump said, no one is above the law.”
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