Federal agents raided 22 locations in Minnesota on Tuesday as part of an investigation into widespread taxpayer fraud.
“Today the FBI with federal, state and local law enforcement is involved in court-authorized law enforcement activity as part of an ongoing fraud investigation,” a Department of Justice spokesperson said in a statement.
The raids focused on 22 prominent businesses, some of them tied to Somali immigrants, including daycares like the “Quality Learing Center” in Minneapolis that drew national attention for fraud allegations.
The Trump administration has investigated welfare fraud in Minnesota in the fallout of the Feeding Our Future scandal, where organizations fraudulently applied for and received federal funding for a children’s food assistance program. In January, the Trump administration froze health care funds for organizations in the state over allegations of daycare center fraud. Nearly 100 individuals have been charged so far in connection to fraud schemes in the state.
“The task force and the DOJ will be relentless in exposing these fraudsters wherever they may be hiding,” Vice President JD Vance posted on X.
The Department of Homeland Security said that its investigations unit worked with law enforcement partners to execute criminal search warrants in Minneapolis relating to the “rampant fraud of U.S. taxpayers dollars.”
“The American people deserve to know how their taxpayer money was abused,” the agency said.
“No stone will be left unturned,” it added.
Last week, the Trump administration announced it is increasing its anti-fraud efforts with $300 million in funding to investigate and prosecute fraudsters and drug traffickers.
The Justice Department announced the “Special Attorneys Program,” where state, local, tribal, and territorial governments can apply for grants for a federal prosecutor to probe crimes in their jurisdictions.
This is part of a broader whole-of-government effort following President Donald Trump’s appointment of a Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, chaired by Vance. The task force aims to work with every department and agency to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefit programs.
