MINNEAPOLIS (AP) \u2014 Federal agents executed multiple searches in Minnesota on Tuesday, seizing records and other evidence in an ongoing fraud investigation by the Trump administration of publicly funded social programs for children, authorities said.<\/p>\n
No details about possible crimes were disclosed, though armed agents were seen at childcare centers in the Minneapolis area. KSTP-TV<\/a> said one crew even had a battering ram.<\/p>\n The searches occurred months after right-wing influencer Nick Shirley posted a video<\/a> that said members of Minnesota\u2019s Somali community were running fake childcare centers to collect federal subsidies. It caught the attention of the Trump administration and conservative activists, though inspectors said the centers were operating as expected<\/a>.<\/p>\n Minnesota has been dogged by fraud: At least 65 people, many of them Somali Americans, have been convicted of ripping off a federal program<\/a> that was meant to provide food to children. The investigation began during the Biden administration. <\/p>\n Separately, a federal prosecutor in December said as much as $9 billion in federal funds that supported 14 Minnesota-run programs since 2018 may have been stolen<\/a>.<\/p>\n Democratic Gov. Tim Walz<\/a>, who has been on the defensive<\/a> about not doing enough to root out fraud, welcomed the raids Tuesday. Minnesota\u2019s child welfare agency said it shared key information with law enforcement to \u201chold bad actors accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe catch criminals when state and federal agencies share information. Joint investigations work, and securing justice depends on it,\u201d Walz said.<\/p>\n The searches were being conducted at daycares, businesses and some residences, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.<\/p>\n Various state and federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, participated in searches. At least two of the sites were in Shirley\u2019s video. Officers from Minnesota\u2019s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were removing boxes at some locations. <\/p>\n \u201cThe American people deserve to know how their taxpayer money was abused. … No stone will be left unturned,\u201d said DHS, which also noted the cooperation of local and state authorities.<\/p>\n On social media, FBI Director Kash Patel mocked Walz for taking credit \u201cwhile we smoke out the fraud plaguing Minnesota under your governorship.\u201d<\/p>\n Jason Steck, an attorney who represents childcare centers, said some of the targeted businesses were operated by Somali immigrants. They were not his clients.<\/p>\n \u201cA few childcare centers, a few autism centers, a few healthcare agencies of some type,\u201d Steck said, adding that it appeared to be a \u201cparticular sweep for fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n The executive director of Child Care Aware of Minnesota, a nonprofit that serves childhood educators, said the publicity is unflattering.<\/p>\n \u201cThe majority are in business to do good business. You\u2019re going to come across individuals who try to capitalize on systems that are broken and need to be fixed,\u201d Candace Yates said.<\/p>\n Walz ended his bid for a third term as governor in early January amid President Donald Trump\u2019s relentless focus on fraud allegations and the state\u2019s Somali community. Trump has used dehumanizing rhetoric<\/a>, calling Somali immigrants \u201cgarbage\u201d and \u201clow IQ.\u201d <\/p>\n Tensions between Walz and the federal government subsequently rocketed during an extraordinary immigration crackdown<\/a> that led to the deaths of two people<\/a> before Operation Metro Surge was eased in February.<\/a><\/p>\n In February, Vice President JD Vance said the government would temporarily halt<\/a> $243 million in Medicaid funding to Minnesota over fraud concerns<\/a>. Minnesota sued in response, warning it may have to cut healthcare for low-income families, but a judge on April 6 declined to grant a restraining order.<\/p>\n