A citizen journalist’s undercover investigation has exposed numerous vacant Somali-owned daycare facilities in Minnesota that continue collecting taxpayer dollars, igniting renewed scrutiny of the state’s election integrity amid concerns that widespread fraud could extend beyond social welfare programs.
The controversy emerges as President Donald Trump has deployed federal agents to address what his administration characterizes as a crisis involving illegal immigration and fraud within Minnesota’s Somali community.
Federal authorities are investigating allegations that taxpayer funds have been diverted to support Islamist terrorist organizations in North Africa.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who served as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election, faced criticism after Harris narrowly carried the state by approximately 138,000 votes.
The margin represented just 4.2 percent of total ballots cast.
Trump has publicly threatened Walz with federal prosecution over allegations of gross incompetence.
The president has also accused state Rep. Ilhan Omar, who represents a district with thousands of Somali constituents, of fraudulently obtaining American citizenship through marriage to her brother.
Walz defended his administration’s record by stating the state has dedicated years to combating fraud through law enforcement referrals and audits of high-risk programs.
Omar has urged the public not to hold the entire Somali community responsible for individual criminal acts.
Public anger intensified following the release of journalist Nick Shirley’s video footage documenting empty daycare centers operated by Somali owners while receiving government payments.
The viral investigation has prompted federal lawmakers to demand protective measures for Minnesota’s electoral system.
A particular state election regulation has drawn intense criticism from conservative lawmakers and activists.
Minnesota law permits any registered voter to vouch for up to eight individuals seeking same-day registration without presenting identification documents.
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon’s official website describes the vouching process as unique among American states. According to the explanation, a registered precinct voter can accompany unregistered individuals to polling locations and sign an oath confirming their addresses.
The system extends further for residential facilities, where employees may vouch for unlimited numbers of residents.
The Daily Mail reported that Utah Sen. Mike Lee has called for immediate Senate passage of his SAVE Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship for federal election registration.
Voting rights activist Scott Presler warned the vouching mechanism creates opportunities for exploitation, particularly when combined with Minnesota’s same-day registration policy.
Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk described the system as being “made for fraud” in social media posts.
Minnesota joins 42 other states in requiring sworn citizenship affirmations under perjury penalties during voter registration. However, state officials rejected only 54 applications out of 1,372,437 submissions between 2022 and 2024, representing 0.003 percent of total registrations, according to the Daily Mail.
This rejection rate falls dramatically below the 3.0 percent national average.
Comparable states show significantly higher rates, with Alabama rejecting 0.3 percent of registrations and Colorado invalidating 2.4 percent.
Data from the US Election Assistance Commission’s 2024 Election Administration and Voting Survey attributes Minnesota’s low rejection rate to a sophisticated online processing system handling 20.5 percent of applications.
The report did not specify reasons behind rejected registrations.
