DHS sends fraud agents door-to-door in Burnsville
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says its Homeland Security Investigations agents are going "door to door" at "suspected fraud sites" in Minnesota, sharing video of officers visiting at least two Burnsville businesses on Monday, including a smokeshop and a licensed learning center with prior violations. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem framed the operation as part of a major crackdown on childcare and other fraud in the Minneapolis area, following FBI Director Kash Patel’s weekend statement that ongoing Medicaid-fraud prosecutions in Minnesota are only the "tip of the iceberg," while Gov. Tim Walz’s office responded by highlighting state audits, program shutdowns and prosecutions already underway.
📌 Key Facts
- DHS posted video on X showing HSI agents conducting in‑person checks at a Burnsville smokeshop and a separate learning center that still holds an active state license but has past violations.
- Homeland Security said agents are "going DOOR TO DOOR at suspected fraud sites" and promised "ARRESTS when abuse is found," with Sec. Kristi Noem calling it a massive investigation into childcare and other fraud in Minneapolis.
- The operation comes days after FBI Director Kash Patel said Minnesota Medicaid‑fraud cases already charged are just the "tip of the iceberg," and as the Walz administration defends its own fraud‑control steps, including shutting down Housing Stabilization Services and ordering audits of high‑risk Medicaid programs.
📊 Relevant Data
Somali Minnesotans number more than 108,000, constituting approximately 1.85% of Minnesota's total population of about 5.83 million.
Here’s what to know about Minnesota’s fraud crisis — Star Tribune
Out of 60 defendants who have either pled guilty or been convicted at trial in the Feeding Our Future fraud case as of late 2025, 59 have Somali-sounding names, indicating that Somali individuals represent about 98% of those convicted, despite comprising only 1.85% of the state's population.
Feeding Our Future - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
The poverty rate among Somali Minnesotans is 27.9%, compared to 9.3% for the overall Minnesota population.
Latest Data on Somali Minnesotans 2024 — Empowering Strategies
The large Somali population in Minnesota originated from U.S. refugee resettlement programs in the 1990s for those fleeing civil war, followed by secondary migration and family reunification due to job opportunities, strong economy, good schools, and established community networks.
How Minnesota became a hub for Somali immigrants in the U.S. — NPR
Fraud in Minnesota's social services programs, including Medicaid, was facilitated by insufficient oversight, lack of internal controls, inadequate technology for verification, and failure to act on whistleblower reports, creating opportunities for billing unprovided services.
Here’s what to know about Minnesota’s fraud crisis — Star Tribune