President Trump declared on Truth Social that he will move to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals in the United States, citing allegations that Minnesota has become a hub for large-scale financial crime and fraud linked to Somali networks. The TPS designation protects roughly 705 Somali nationals nationwide from deportation under U.S. law, and ending it is a federal decision that normally applies to entire countries, not individual states.

Minnesota’s Fraud Crisis: Scope and Links

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota warned that the state is “drowning in fraud,” outlining schemes involving taxpayer-funded programs:

• Over $100 million annually is alleged to be stolen from housing stabilization services and other state/federal aid programs.
• Fraudulent healthcare and housing companies were set up, and vulnerable individuals were targeted for services they never received.
• Many purported service-providers operated out of “dilapidated storefronts or run-down office buildings.”

Meanwhile, a detailed investigation by Manhattan Institute (via City Journal) documented:

• The housing-stabilization program expanded rapidly from a few million dollars to more than $100 million.
• The charity Feeding Our Future grew to nearly $200 million in federal nutrition reimbursements while luxury cars and foreign remittances to East Africa were flagged.
• Federal sources claimed that Minnesota-based funds transferred via hawala networks reached Al‑Shabaab. One former JTTF official stated: “The largest funder ofAl-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.”

https://shrmedia.com/2026/01/19/doj-don-lemon-ku-klux-klan-act-church-disruption/New DOJ Charges: Autism Fraud Scheme

On September 24, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota announced criminal charges against a defendant in an autism-services fraud scheme:

• The defendant allegedly defrauded the state’s Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) program by enrolling children without proper diagnoses and paying kickbacks to families.
• The fraud included fake billing, inflated claims and proceeds exported abroad, including real-estate purchases in Kenya.
• Prosecutors said the autism-service fraud was tied to the Feeding Our Future scheme and formed part of a broader “web of stolen billions.”

Legal Implications and TPS Link

While the fraud investigation is focused on Minnesota, the TPS matter is federal and nationwide. Immigration policy experts say:

• TPS must be reviewed for entire countries.
• Ending TPS for Somalis purely on the basis of activity in one state would be legally unprecedented.
• A formal notice and public comment period are required via the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Register.

Trump’s remarks nevertheless appear to tie the state-level fraud directly to a national immigration decision, heightening the risk of immediate legal challenges.

Forward Look

• The DOJ is expected to file additional indictments in Minnesota’s fraud networks.
• DHS must review Somalia’s conditions before making a TPS termination decision, likely leading to court review if the move proceeds.
• Minnesota’s Somali-American community and advocacy groups are preparing to respond and potentially litigate.

Sources

• U.S. Department of Justice, “First Defendant Charged in Autism Fraud Scheme.” September 24 2025. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/first-defendant-charged-autism-fraud-scheme-0
• City Journal, “Minnesota welfare fraud, Somalia & Al-Shabaab.” https://www.city-journal.org/article/minnesota-welfare-fraud-somalia-al-shabaab
• DOJ Minnesota press statements and U.S. Attorney remarks
• Public Truth Social statements by President Trump

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