Minnesota

Report revives claims Minnesota fraud funded terrorism. Here’s what we know.

Published

2 months ago

November 24, 2025

Report revives claims Minnesota fraud funded terrorism. Here’s what we know.

Minnesota’s Republican Congressional delegation and state lawmakers are calling on the U.S. Attorney’s office to investigate whether fraud schemes helped fund terrorism after President Donald Trump pledged that he would end temporary legal protections for Somali immigrants in Minnesota.

Trump’s move and GOP calls for an investigation come on the heels of a report from a conservative think tank alleging that some of the millions of dollars stolen from the state through fraud ended up in the hands of the Somalia-based Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab.

It’s not the first time there have been allegations of a link between fraud in Minnesota and terrorism.

The same premise was at the center of a similar 2018 local news story that spurred action at the state Capitol and a nonpartisan state investigation that found no definitive connection between fraud and terrorism.

Citing unnamed sources and a former counterterrorism investigator, writers for City Journal, a publication of the Manhattan Institute, claim that some money sent back from Minnesota to Somalia through informal networks likely would have benefited the group, which controls large swaths of Somalia.

The report shows no definite link between hundreds of millions of dollars in fraud this decade in Minnesota and terrorist groups, though it asserts that al-Shabaab received cuts of money transferred from the U.S. to Somalia through the hawala system, an informal money transfer network used by the Somali diaspora.

City Journal’s source for this claim is Glenn Kerns, a former detective with the Seattle Police Department, who investigated hawala networks while working with a federal terrorism task force in the 2010s.

In 2018, then-retired Kerns shared similar findings with KMSP-TV, or Fox 9 — day care fraud in Minnesota and money transferred to areas controlled by al-Shabaab in Somalia. An agency whistleblower claimed $100 million in stolen tax dollars had gone overseas.

Legislative auditor investigation in 2018

A subsequent report by the nonpartisan Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor couldn’t substantiate claims that money went to terrorist groups overseas. The 2019 report found fraud, though there was no evidence that it reached $100 million.

OLA did acknowledge, however, that money obtained through fraud sent overseas could end up going to terrorists.

“We found that federal regulatory and law enforcement agencies are concerned that terrorist organizations in certain countries, including Somalia, obtain and use money sent from the United States by immigrants and refugees to family and friends in those countries,” the report said.

City Journal authors Ryan Thorpe and Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist and author who rose to prominence as an opponent of critical race theory in American education, cite Kerns’ work as a piece of evidence that money continues to fund the Somali terrorist group, as well as two unnamed sources.

For every dollar that is transferred from the Twin Cities back to Somalia, “Al-Shabaab is . . . taking a cut of it,” said one unnamed source described as a former member of the Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force.

A second unnamed source claimed “the largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.” It’s unclear, though, how much money the group might have received.

GOP calls for investigation

Members of the Minnesota Senate and House Republican caucuses sent letters to U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen on Monday asking Minnesota federal prosecutors to investigate the allegations. Minnesota U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach, U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad and U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber sent a similar letter on Friday.

Dozens of fraud cases have emerged in Minnesota in recent years, with much of it centered at the state’s Department of Human Services. Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson estimated in July that fraud in the state could top $1 billion.

In the largest case, federal prosecutors allege a scheme centered around the nonprofit Feeding Our Future defrauded the government of $250 million in federal funds from a pandemic-era meal program. In that case, the money was administered by the Minnesota Department of Education.

“The notion that these dollars could be flowing to foreign terrorist organizations adds a truly disturbing additional element,” state House Republicans said in their letter. “If confirmed to be true, immediate action must be taken at the state and federal level to crack down on remittances and other payments that are making their way to terrorist organizations.”

DFL leaders condemn Trump’s move on protections

The office of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said it has not heard anything about the allegations from state or federal law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Democratic-Farmer-Labor leaders have condemned Trump’s pledge to revoke temporary protective status for Somali migrants in Minnesota, claiming the administration was using the report to pursue deportations as part of an anti-Muslim and xenophobic agenda.

Dozens, including U.S. Reps. Betty McCollum, Ilhan Omar, DFL legislators and activists gathered at the Capitol on Monday to address reporters. Omar said incidents of fraud could not be blamed on the Somali community at large.

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Minnesota

Protests continue in the Triangle over ICE actions after Minnesota shooting incident

Published

54 minutes ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Protests continue in the Triangle over ICE actions after Minnesota shooting incident

Protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are continuing across the Triangle this week, fueled by anger and fear after a woman was shot and killed during an immigration enforcement operation Wednesday in Minnesota.

Adali Abeldanez, owner of Moroleon Supermarket in Durham, said fear is impacting daily life and local businesses, including his own.

“People are still stressed and worried,” he said.

Abeldanez said he has seen a noticeable change in customer behavior since ICE operations intensified. While his store has offered delivery services for years, he noticed requests surged in November, when ICE was in the state, and have remained high.

“That uptick in delivery – do you believe that’s directly tied to people’s fear about ICE?” WRAL asked Abeldanez.

“Oh yeah, for sure,” he said.

He said some store clients are afraid to leave their homes and are relying on organized deliveries instead. Abeldanez said his wife is undocumented and frightened, a feeling he said is widely shared in the immigrant community.

>> Q&A: NC lawyers warn immigrant communities to stay home amid enforcement sweeps in Raleigh

>> Do ICE agents have absolute immunity? No, experts say, but it’s not easy for a state to prosecute

Abeldanez believes ICE agents need more training and greater accountability.

“They’re dealing with people — human beings. It’s life,” he said. “The law should be enforced, but obviously with due process and taking into consideration humanity, being humane.”

He also criticized what he described as racial profiling; he said agents approach people in public spaces based on appearance rather than targeted investigations.

“They should have some kind of plan to know where to go, who to look for, and not just randomly pick people,” Abeldanez said.

Despite his concerns, Abeldanez said he felt encouraged by this week’s protests, as long as they remain peaceful.

“As long as it’s something peaceful, I feel proud,” he said. “Seeing people protest in favor of protecting the immigrant community — I think that’s awesome.”

But while both sides believe peaceful protesting is important, the divide is regarding ICE’s actions.

Matt Mercer, communications director for the North Carolina Republican Party, said the Minnesota shooting involved an agent acting in self-defense, citing video evidence and injuries the agent sustained.

“There’s a human element where someone loses their life, which you never want to see,” Mercer said. “But the video speaks for itself.”

Mercer said recent confrontations with ICE agents are not peaceful protests but attempts to obstruct federal law enforcement.

“If you wish to protest, do that in ways you can traditionally protest,” Mercer said. “Surrounding agents, obstructing vehicles or creating chaos is not legitimate protest.”

The Minnesota incident remains under investigation. Meanwhile, protests in the Triangle are expected to continue, including one Friday night in Durham.

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Minnesota

Rifts widen as Minnesota, feds face off over ICE shooting

Published

13 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Rifts widen as Minnesota, feds face off over ICE shooting

Federal authorities froze out state investigators. Gov. Tim Walz questioned whether the FBI could be fair on its own. Vice President JD Vance said he wouldn’t let Walz and “a bunch of radicals” pursue a case against an ICE agent who killed a woman in Minneapolis.

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Minnesota

Wild at Kraken Morning Skate Wrap Up | Minnesota Wild

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Wild at Kraken Morning Skate Wrap Up | Minnesota Wild

The Wild closes out a seven-game, 14-day road trip tonight against the Seattle Kraken at 9:00 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network and KFAN FM 100.3. Minnesota has earned a point in five of the first six games of the trip (3-1-2), earning wins over Winnipeg, Vegas and Anaheim, and getting a point in shootout losses to San Jose and Los Angeles. History shows Minnesota is ending this grueling trip in a place where it has had great success. Since dropping its first ever game in Seattle in October of 2021, the Wild has won its last six games at Climate Pledge Arena, including a 4-1 win over the Kraken on December 8. With a 12-7-3 record on the road this season, Minnesota is T-6th in the NHL in road wins and points (27).

Jesper Wallstedt gets the nod for Minnesota tonight, facing Seattle for the first time in his career. He has earned a point in all three of his starts on this trip, going 1-0-2 with a 3.21 GAA and a .891 SV%. In games played away from Grand Casino Arena this season, Wallstedt owns a 5-1-3 record with a 2.20 GAA, a .922 SV% and two shutouts.

Stopping Seattle will be no easy task for Wallstedt tonight, as the Kraken comes into tonight’s game on a nine-game point-streak (8-0-1), its longest point streak of the season. Seattle is outscoring its opponents 36-18 during its streak and has only allowed more than three goals in a game once. Kaapo Kakko has been the driving force for Seattle over its nine-game stretch, as he has nine points (2-7=9) in nine games. Former Wild center, Freddy Gaudreau, has three points (1-2=3) in his last two games and six points (3-3=6) in Seattle’s nine-game stretch.

Players to watch for Minnesota:

Kirill Kaprizov: Kaprizov comes into tonight’s game two points behind Marian Gaborik (219-218=437) for the second-most points in Wild history. Kaprizov scored a goal in the first meeting between these teams and owns 15 points (6-9=15) in 10 games against Seattle in his career.

Matt Boldy: In 11 games against the Kraken, Boldy owns 14 points (8-6=14) and has only been held off the score sheet twice. He comes into tonight’s game with a point (8-5=13) in eight consecutive games against Seattle, including a hat trick on March 27, 2023.

Joel Eriksson Ek: In the first matchup between these two teams, Eriksson Ek recorded three points (1-2=3), a plus-3 rating and a season-high six shots. In his 11 games against Seattle, Eriksson Ek owns 10 points (4-6=10) and a plus-6 rating.

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