Muslims have committed giant welfare frauds all over the country, but no place has been hit as hard as Minnesota by these frauds. Somali immigrants overwhelmingly commit the frauds — the largest Somali population in the country is in Minneapolis — and while the exact cost of the fraud is not known, some investigators suggest losses in the billions. This is money that is no longer available to provide succor to Minnesota’s poor and disabled. And what is still more infuriating, much of that money is sent abroad by the local fraudsters to Somalia, where a large cut of the loot goes to the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group al-Shabaab. American taxpayers, that is, are unknowingly providing huge sums to a group linked to the very worst of Islamic terrorist groups.
Robert Spencer wrote about this here, and more on this fraud — one of so many that have been uncovered involving Somalis in Minnesota — can be found here: “Federal investigators warn Minnesota welfare fraud may have helped fund Al-Shabaab,” by Kayla Gaskins, The National News Desk, November 21, 2025:
Federal prosecutors say Minnesota is facing one of the largest welfare-fraud waves in U.S. history—schemes so widespread and lucrative that some of the stolen money may have ended up in the hands of Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization operating in Somalia.
Correction: No, “that stolen money may have ended up in the hands of Al-Shabab” — it did end up in the terror group’s hands.
According to a recent report in City Journal, former federal counterterrorism officials believe portions of the money stolen from Minnesota’s Medicaid and social-service programs were routed overseas through informal cash-transfer networks known as hawalas. Once the funds reached Somalia, investigators say, Al-Shabaab routinely took a share—regardless of the sender’s intentions.
The allegation, described by one former investigator as a “yes, absolutely” scenario, adds a national-security dimension to a widening series of criminal cases already rattling the state.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota has charged dozens of defendants across multiple schemes, including housing-assistance fraud, pandemic child-nutrition fraud, and millions of dollars in false billing for autism therapy. Collectively, prosecutors estimate taxpayers have lost billions.
David Gaither, a former Minnesota state senator, said the scale of fraud has diverted resources away from vulnerable people, the programs were designed to help. “There are people that legitimately need those resources who are not getting them,” he said. “It’s beyond criminal.”
Minnesota is home to one of the largest Somali-American populations in the United States, and many of the defendants in the major fraud cases come from that community. Kayesh Magan, a former fraud investigator at the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and himself Somali-American, wrote last year that it is “uncomfortable and true” that nearly all defendants in the high-profile cases are Somali.
“They have taken advantage of one of the most generous countries in the world and one of the most generous states in that country,” Gaither said.
Ryan Thorpe, an investigative reporter who has examined the fraud cases, said law enforcement alone cannot keep up. “Pretty much across the board, people I spoke to said there isn’t a law-enforcement solution to this,” Thorpe said. “It’s simply playing whack-a-mole. There needs to be a policy change.”…
What kind of policy change? What about refusing to allow any welfare benefits to be sent to migrants during the first five years of their presence in the United States? Or monitoring, using Somali agents, the hawala networks by which money is transferred from America to Somalia? Or going to visit the homes where these fraudsters claim they have provided housing assistance to tenants? Or simply keeping track of the assets — houses, stocks, bank accounts — of those suspected of involvement in these frauds, noting those that are suspiciously large? Such measures won’t stop this fraud entirely, but may cut it down to a less maddening size. As of now, investigators believe that “billions of dollars” have been lost to networks of Somali fraudsters and such measures will certainly make both the fraud in Minnesota, and the transfer of funds to Somalia, more difficult. In Somalia itself, the FBI ought to have agents, preferably Somalis, on the ground, to monitor large infusions of cash into Al-Shabaab coffers.
Minnesota is the home of the Muslim congresswoman Ilhan Omar, the most visible member of the state’s congressional delegation, who has made herself a presence on the national scene. A Muslim, Keith Ellison, is the attorney general of Minnesota. He has prosecuted a handful of very small cases of Medicaid fraud, but has yet to show much interest in investigating the massive Minnesota fraud cases. He was secretly recorded promising to help some Somalis who he said were being investigated unnecessarily for “piddly stuff” that turned out to be a massive billion-dollar fraud.
Many local politicians, alas, are reluctant to lose the support of the Somali-American voters in the state, who vote as a bloc. Close to 100,000 Somalis now in Minnesota were born in Somalia. In addition, there are tens of thousands more Somali-Americans, born in the U.S., who are the children of those first-generation immigrants.
Now that Minnesota taxpayers have discovered that they have been scammed of what federal investigators estimate to be “billions of dollars,” in Housing Aid fraud, Pandemic Child Nutrition fraud, and Autism fraud, by Somali-Americans, and learned, too, that much of that money — hundreds of millions of dollars — was sent to the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab, will they in fury vote out Governor Tim Walz, who was asleep at the wheel during the worst of these frauds, or Attorney General Keith Ellison, who failed to grasp the size and seriousness of those frauds? David Gaither, a former state senator, who has been in the forefront of those denouncing the fraud and its link to al-Shabaab, should be encouraged to run for governor, and if he wins on a wave of taxpayer fury, his first order of business should be to clamp down on Somali fraudsters, force them to disgorge as much of their ill-gotten gains that are still reachable, deport any of those convicted of crimes back to Somalia, and charge the people running the hawala networks by which money has been transferred from Minnesota to al-Shabaab in Somalia, with supporting international terrorism. That’s what I would call a good start.
somehistory says
“Watch: Just As Ilhan Omar Says Somalis Help America ‘Thrive,’ DOJ Adds 78th Suspect to $250 Million Tax Dollar Somali Money Laundering Investigation”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/watch-just-as-ilhan-omar-says-somalis-help-america-thrive-doj-adds-78th-suspect-to-250-million-tax-dollar-somali-money-laundering-investigation/ar-AA1R83oG?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6925f306ae444f4581d087d054d5b3ba&ei=7
The snake meant, inside where she’s just as ugly as outside, somalis helped al shabab “thrive.”
somehistory says
ilhan elmi is so arrogant and truly despicable. From the mouth of the ugly snake:
“”So not only are we not going anywhere,” Omar said, with her usual contemptuous smile, “not only are we not going anywhere, we are not going to allow anybody to make us feel less Minnesotan or less American.”
.
She committed fraud to come here; she supports the fraud of others.
John Smith says
Yes, an arrogant and a truly despicable person. She is the enemy within and nothing would give me more pleasure than to see her deported, something that she deserves.
OLD GUY says
Deport her without the money she has taken, back just as broke as she was when she arrived.
John Smith says
She hates America and she made that perfectly clear when she was addressing a group of Somalians. She is resentful that she was brought to the US as a young girl and says, she wishes to return to Somalia with her children and bring here grand grandchildren up there.
So I say to you Illhan Omar please do, you’ll make a lot of Americans happy as well.
somehistory says
Thank you, John. I say many Americans deserve a little bit of happiness, so go ilhan, go quickly and don’t look back.
Not Sure says
“Now that Minnesota taxpayers have discovered that they have been scammed of what federal investigators estimate to be “billions of dollars,” in Housing Aid fraud, Pandemic Child Nutrition fraud, and Autism fraud, by Somali-Americans, and learned, too, that much of that money — hundreds of millions of dollars — was sent to the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab, will they in fury vote out Governor Tim Walz, who was asleep at the wheel during the worst of these frauds, or Attorney General Keith Ellison, who failed to grasp the size and seriousness of those frauds?”
Hilariously naive! Walz will win a third term without even campaigning. He didn’t even bother to show up for a debate the last go around and crushed his opponent. And that was following the 2020 riots that permanently destroyed Minneapolis. The Minnesota electorate is filth. Trust me, I live in this cesspool.
KufarDawg says
Minnesotastan sounds a lot like Californication : a Commiecrat oligarchy where elections are rigged.
abu taleb says
> Correction: No, “that stolen money may have ended up in the hands of Al-Shabab” — it did end up in the terror group’s hands.
It did end up in the hand of terrorists’s hand, not just As Shabab, I believe.
I think, people are trying to whitewash Islam by saying the terrorism and other heinous crimes is done by certain organizations while actually it is sanctions in Islam and may be done by any muslim without any connection with such organizations.
John Smith says
I don’t believe Trump is going to let this one go, he will do something about it.
gravenimage says
I hope so, John.
somehistory says
Spending taxpayer’s….many White…. money to try to make White people disappear from society
In previous years, Whites were said to be only noticing a person’s skin color. We were accused of discriminating and taking too much notice of skin unlike us.
When I was a young child, I worked the fields with Blacks…mainly men supporting their families…and didn’t think about their skin color in any negative way. I was basically “colorblind”….and still to today, I have many friends who are Black or Brown. Also, two bi-racial grandchildren.
Now, this website for the U of MN, is condemning “colorblindness.” They demand that people like me look at ourselves as being racists
“University of Minnesota website alerts ‘Whiteness pandemic’”
“The University of Minnesota used a federal grant from the National Institutes of Health to research and address what it called a “Whiteness pandemic.”
The project, which launched in 2021, aimed to provide “Whiteness pandemic resources for parents, educators, and other caregivers.” The National Institute of Mental Health awarded the University of Minnesota $279,271 toward the effort, which had a deadline of June 2023, according to the NIMH website.
….“If you were socialized into the culture of Whiteness during childhood it is not your fault, but as an adult it is now your responsibility to self-reflect, re-educate yourself, and act,” the website reads. “If you are a White adult, antiracist action involves an ongoing process of self-reflection in order to develop a healthy positive White identity while engaging in courageous antiracist parenting/caregiving.””
To these racist idiots, I’ll say Take a hike; a long walk on a short pier.;
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/university-of-minnesota-website-alerts-whiteness-pandemic/ar-AA1R8FHv?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=48636519f9c041fd9a6e4d7a33dee6e8&ei=11
James Lincoln says
somehistory,
Sounds like you judge people by the content of their character – not the color of their skin.
So, do I.
For today’s commie progressive, that’s just not good enough…
somehistory says
thank you, James. I learned from my parents.
My favorite doctor is not White.
One thing I realize about you, your thinking is very close to mine.
and both the commies and the muzzies want us to cease to exist.
James Lincoln says
somehistory says,
“One thing I realize about you, your thinking is very close to mine.”
Yes, pretty much the same…
gravenimage says
Good exchange, Somehistory and James.
BeccaR says
Just think.if Harris won we would have had the Minnesota knucklehead as Veep and the Islamist Ellison as AG. It is bad enough Trump is beholden to Qatar and Turkey, but the other alternative would have been much worse. How far behind Britain are we in our decline? Is anyone keeping track?
James Lincoln says
BeccaR says,
“How far behind Britain are we in our decline?”
Not sure, but as long as we have MAGA leadership now – and moving forward – the United States stands a chance.
The alternative – Democrat leadership moving forward – would totally destroy the country.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Interesting talk by Victor Davis Hanson about Ilhan Omar’s dual loyalties, and how it ultimately ends for such people
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0irwYnm6B50
My only disagreement w/ VDH is that Omar’s loyalties are solely to Somalis. The day her district becomes minority Somalian and she actually has to explain to her English-speaking constituents her achievements, or rather the lack of them, she can as well kiss her seat goodbye
Hopefully, if she runs for Senate, she has no chance of winning, even if MN is a blue state
Winston 101 says
Infidel,
FYI,
It was brought to my attention that this particular video is NOT VDH.
It is AI from the Voice To Power channel. The disclaimer that briefly flashes on screen at the beginning goes by to fast to read. Read the video description and also notice the channel posting is NOT The Daily Signal.
It was my first time being fooled by A I.
When I tried to leave a comment to let others know my comment would disappear.
Hear we are in a world we have to double check.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Winston
Good to know
gravenimage says
This is becoming more and more common. Don’t feel badly.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I’m not feeling badly: I just think it hilarious that an AI could do such a perfect fake of VDH. The video was a little more erudite than VDH usually is: he generally speaks at the level of his audience or his interlocutors, but in this case, the AI VDH happily rattled off the name of an ancient Greek strategist who kept switching loyalties from Athens to Sparta to Persia to Athens…., which I thought was a tad unlike the real VDH
Not surprised to learn that this was a fake 😂🤣
somehistory says
ilhan the snake speaking….’Trump and his coonies”….whatever that means…denying any fraud
“Minnesota politicians demand answers after a report alleges taxpayer dollars going to a Somali terror group
Fox News correspondent Jeff Paul details how an alleged welfare fraud led to taxpayer dollars ending up in the hands of Somali terror group Al-Shabaab on ‘Special Report.’”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/minnesota-politicians-demand-answers-after-a-report-alleges-taxpayer-dollars-going-to-a-somali-terror-group/vi-AA1R9Gwn?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=692696ca1da14ddd81f4be96ff78c7af&ei=7…
bill says
So Mr Spencer you constantly claim that Muslims are running the UK, seems like with the number of financial frauds they are able to commit over time in USA, as Minnesota well illustrates, that muslims are running USA, it is more like staggering shattered dimhi USA. Where are the checks and balances or do people look the other way when Muslims are concerned for fear of causing offence?
gravenimage says
Bill, your idea that Robert Spencer has ever said that out of control Muslim immigration is good for anyone–including the US–is completely mistaken.
jerry glenn says
Minnesota surges in the national Islamopandering derby.
Eddie says
Well done Jerry.
Winston 101 says
I do not think that this level of theft is merely to satisfy
personal greed. I’m fairly sure those engaged in the many schemes
skimmed off the top of the grift.
But I think the main strategy is twofold:
1.) Weaken the West by stealing consequential sums of money.
2.) Send “remittances” to Somalia to fund Islamic Jihad.
When the sheer scale of the thefts are totaled one has to ask:
Where did that vast amount of money go?
If it can’t be traced then it’s probably been laundered by
jihadi networks.
This is Fraud Jihad.
Perpetrated by jihadis claiming to need “sanctuary”.
America has no way to tell a desperate refugee
from a duplicitous Fraud Jihadi coming from all
the failed states in the world.
We cannot afford to risk our lives and our treasure
to “help” everyone. Even children.
Ilhan Omar was a child when the U S helped her.
When the U S brings in people from failed states
the U S also gets the failed state along with the
people.
“America and Americans First” means the U S
selects who comes in by asking “How does
this person benefit America?” Not vice versa.
40 rounds says
Minnesotans, and I speak from experience, are so guillable regarding racial issues. They act like their ancestors had invented slavery and have this need to amend their past atrocities. Stupid and pathetic.
gravenimage says
Somali Migrants Scam Minnesota Taxpayers Out of Billions, Fund Jihad Group
…………………………………………………
Robbing Infidels is orthodox Islam. Shut it down.
Troybeam says
Long past time to send these refugees back to Somalia as the humanitarian issue should have never happened in the first place. This goes for the other Muslim’s brought in on humanitarian Bullsh*t by Bush Jr.
What a freakin fool to bring in Muslims after 9/11 on humanitarian crap, send them all back on a cargo ship, it cheaper than flying.
Even the ones who claim to become a naturalized citizen because they lied in order not to be removed, they still follow the destroy America and steal from her generosity.