Mayor Defends Somali Community Amid Raids

Office of the Attorney General building facade with metal sculpture

As fraud scandals and federal raids put Minnesota back under the microscope, Minneapolis’s mayor is telling one targeted immigrant community, “You are our family” — while Washington says they are ripping off taxpayers.

Story Snapshot

Mayor Jacob Frey praises the Somali community and calls them “our family” amid fraud probes tied to some Somali-run groups.
Federal prosecutors describe a $250 million child-meal fraud scheme and more than 100 people charged, including Somali defendants.^[10]^[11]
Trump-era immigration operations deploy 100 federal agents and single out “radical Somali migrants,” deepening fears of collective blame.^[2]^[4]^[6]^[10]
Both sides claim to defend taxpayers and the rule of law, but offer little hard proof about whether enforcement is fair or biased.^[9]^[10]^[15]

Frey’s message: Somalis as “family” in a city under strain

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey used Somali Independence Day celebrations to send a clear message: Somali residents are not outsiders, but “our family.”^[1]^[2] He told the crowd, “We do not see you as immigrants. We see you as our family. You are our brothers. You’re our sisters. You have done so much for this incredible city, and for that, we stand with you.”^[1] Frey also praised their resilience and leadership, saying the Somali community enriches Minneapolis culturally and economically.^[1]^[7]

These warm words came at a tense time. Minnesota is facing renewed scrutiny over massive fraud in social service programs, including the Feeding Our Future scandal.^[2]^[9]^[10] National outlets highlight that many of those charged are Somali immigrants, shaping a narrative that links one immigrant group to waste and crime.^[1]^[10] Frey’s remarks push back against that image, appealing to neighbors who feel under attack, and to broader worries that hardworking people are being branded as criminals because of where they come from.

Fraud scandal: huge theft, real anger over government failure

Federal prosecutors say a jury convicted two people as masterminds of a $250 million scheme that abused a child nutrition program during the pandemic.^[10] Defendants claimed to serve 91 million meals that never existed, then laundered the money through fake shell companies and luxury spending.^[10] A Minnesota legislative auditor report notes that about 70 people were charged in related cases between 2022 and 2024 for crimes like wire fraud, money laundering, and bribery.^[11] This scale feeds public anger over waste, taxes, and basic government failure.

House Oversight Committee Republicans released a report blasting Democratic Governor Tim Walz’s administration for “stunning failures” in stopping the fraud sooner.^[13]^[14] Whistleblowers say they were warned not to “rock the boat,” fearing they would be called racist or Islamophobic if they questioned Somali-run groups.^[12]^[13] That story hits a nerve on both left and right: people see officials protecting themselves and their image instead of protecting taxpayers. It reinforces a shared belief that the system is more focused on politics and public relations than on honesty and competence.

Targeted enforcement or collective blame?

As the fraud cases grew, the Trump administration launched Operation Metro Surge, sending about 100 federal agents to the Twin Cities with a stated focus on Somali immigrants.^[2]^[4]^[6] Local news shows Frey saying Somali communities are “under attack” and that federal leaders “don’t seem to care about the wonderful benefits they provide to our city.”^[3]^[4]^[8] He insists people who committed fraud should be charged and jailed “as individuals, not as a community.”^[3]^[4]^[9] That line speaks to Americans who worry that law enforcement is drifting into guilt by association.

At a separate press event, Frey condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids as “unconstitutional and immoral” and repeated that “individuals—not communities—are held accountable.”^[5]^[6]^[9] He criticized President Trump’s comments about Somalis, calling them neither accurate nor helpful, and argued that Somali neighbors enhance Minneapolis.^[6]^[9]^[10] Yet even as Frey talks about fairness and constitutional limits, he has not offered detailed data proving that investigators chose targets because of race or national origin.^[9]^[15] That gap makes it hard for frustrated citizens to know whether this is bias, necessary enforcement, or some mix of both.

Rhetoric from Washington and the risk of deepening divides

Trump has described Minnesota as a “hub of fraudulent money laundering” and talked about Somali participants being “sent back to where they came from,” tying fraud and immigration into one storyline.^[10] White House messaging about “radical Somali migrants” stealing from taxpayers reinforces this frame, even though no terrorism links have been proven in the fraud cases.^[10] These statements land in a country already split over immigration, welfare, and “America First” policies, and they heighten fear among law-abiding Somali Americans that they will pay for others’ crimes.

Jacob Frey praises Somali community as Minnesota faces renewed scrutiny over fraud investigations https://t.co/BpLxWqKYkm #FoxNews

— RL (@rvl1) June 29, 2026

Legal experts note that proving racial discrimination in federal enforcement is difficult. Guidance from the Justice Department explains that courts often rely on patterns, statistics, and departures from normal procedures to judge intent, because direct admissions of bias are rare.^[15] Studies of workplace discrimination also show that many minority groups experience unfair treatment but few cases ever reach court.^[16]^[19]^[23] In Minnesota’s fraud probes, neither side has yet provided the kind of clear statistical or procedural proof that would settle whether enforcement decisions were driven by fraud evidence alone or also by race and politics.

What this clash reveals about faith in government

Somali Americans in Minnesota say the scandal has badly damaged the reputation of a community of about 80,000 people, just as their political and economic status was improving.^[10] Many feel caught between fraudulent actors who abused programs, a federal government that singles out their group, and state officials who failed to protect either taxpayers or their community’s good name.^[10]^[13] Frey’s “we love you, we stand with you” speech answers that pain, but it does not resolve questions about how such large-scale fraud happened in the first place.

For conservatives angry about waste and illegal immigration, the case looks like proof that welfare programs are easy to loot and that elites will cry “racism” to dodge blame.^[10]^[12]^[14] For liberals worried about civil rights and inequality, mass raids aimed at one immigrant group look like collective punishment dressed up as law and order.^[3]^[6]^[10] Both sides can see the same thing: a federal and state system that did not act when warnings came in, then swung hard once the scandal exploded. That pattern deepens the sense that everyday Americans — whether native-born or immigrant — cannot trust government to be either honest or fair.