Trump Administration Is Sending 2,000 Immigration Agents to Minneapolis Following Fraud Reports

The Trump administration is deploying about 2,000 federal agents to Minnesota following an investigation that revealed large-scale fraud in the Twin Cities area.

The Department of Homeland Security plans to send officers to Minneapolis from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations agencies, CBS News first reported.

Officials familiar with the Trump administration’s plans told CBS News that agents and officers will oversee a 30-day surge of immigration resources to the Twin Cities area.

A former law enforcement official told CBS the surge of immigration officials to Minneapolis is significant, calling the city “the new Chicago.” The Trump administration carried out a large-scale immigration operation in Chicago in the fall, led by Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino.

Bovino has also led recent a immigration enforcement operation in New Orleans, and is reportedly expected to arrive in Minnesota soon to oversee efforts there.

Federal investigators have uncovered multiple fraud schemes in Minnesota in recent years, including one that revolved around the Minneapolis nonprofit Feeding Our Future.

The organization claimed to be working with caterers and restaurants to provide meals to schoolchildren, but the group was found to have submitted fake invoices and meal count sheets while receiving more than $250 million in federal child nutrition assistance.  

Officials have also found fraud in recent years in a Minnesota housing program and a program claiming to provide services to children with Autism.

A federal prosecutor recently estimated that Medicaid fraud in the state has topped $9 billion.

Amid the fraud allegations occuring on his watch, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced on Monday that he is ending his bid for re-election.

“Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences,” Walz said in a statement Monday.

“So I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work,” Walz added.

The surge in federal law enforcement also comes just weeks after online content creator Nick Shirley released a 42-minute video appearing to show daycares in Minnesota that had no children but had received millions of dollars in government funding.

“We uncovered over $110,000,000 in one day,” Shirley claimed.

During the video investigation, Shirley arrived at a location called the “Quality Learing Center,” with “Learing” obviously misspelled.

The center was licensed to care for 99 children, but no children were present at the time Shirley filmed.

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