Trump Makes Unsubstantiated Claims About Somali Americans in Minnesota

President Donald Trump sparked controversy during a December 2 White House Cabinet meeting with disparaging remarks about Somali Americans, claiming they “ripped off” Minnesota for “billions of dollars” annually and asserting that “like 88%” of Somalis receive welfare benefits. However, when pressed for evidence supporting these specific figures, the White House failed to provide substantiation.

Trump’s comments appear to reference ongoing fraud investigations in Minnesota, where federal prosecutors have charged numerous individuals, many of Somali descent, with defrauding social service programs. While significant fraud has been uncovered, the scale appears to be substantially less than Trump’s claims suggest.

Joseph H. Thompson, then acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, stated in media interviews that the fraud could potentially reach “over $1 billion” or “billions of dollars” when investigations conclude. However, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s December review of court documents found the documented fraud to date totals closer to $152 million, though this figure may increase as investigations continue.

The Minnesota fraud cases primarily involve three separate schemes. The largest centers on Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit organization that allegedly exploited a federally funded nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Department of Justice charges, the organization’s employees established shell companies claiming to provide meals to children throughout the state, submitting fraudulent reimbursement claims that prosecutors say totaled more than $240 million.

Federal prosecutors have charged 78 individuals in this case, including the organization’s founder, Aimee Bock, who was convicted of wire fraud and bribery in March despite denying wrongdoing.

A second case involves Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services Program, which began in 2020 to help seniors and people with disabilities maintain housing. Eight individuals were charged in September with defrauding this Medicaid-funded program, which saw costs balloon from an expected $2.6 million annually to $104 million by 2024—much of the increase attributed to fraud.

The third case involves allegations that Asha Farhan Hassan defrauded a Minnesota healthcare program of at least $14 million over five years. Prosecutors claim Hassan’s company, Smart Therapy, submitted inflated Medicaid claims for services never provided to children with autism spectrum disorder, recruiting Somali parents and their children into the scheme.

Regarding Trump’s welfare claim, census data paints a dramatically different picture than his assertion. Susan Brower, Minnesota’s state demographer, noted that from 2019 to 2023, only about 8% of Minnesota residents with Somali ancestry reported receiving certain forms of public assistance income, with the actual percentage potentially ranging from 6.3% to 10.1% due to sampling error.

Brower acknowledged that Somali Americans do experience higher poverty rates—an estimated 38% in Minnesota—and have the lowest median household income ($28,500) of any cultural group in the state, which may qualify more for assistance programs. However, she emphasized that 95% of Somalis in Minnesota are U.S. citizens, with 58% born in the United States.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 260,000 people of Somali descent live in the United States, with more than 108,000 residing in Minnesota.

Trump’s comments drew immediate criticism for their broad characterization of an entire community based on the actions of individuals. During his remarks, the president stated, “I don’t want them in our country,” acknowledging some might consider his statements “not politically correct.”

When asked for evidence supporting Trump’s claims, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the president’s remarks without providing specific data, instead criticizing “radical Somali migrants” and claiming they had turned Minnesota into “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity.”

The discrepancy between Trump’s claims and available data highlights ongoing tensions surrounding immigration, public assistance programs, and ethnic communities in American political discourse.