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Minnesota fraud scandal intensifies debate over stripping citizenship
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A massive fraud scandal tied to taxpayer-funded daycare, Medicaid and social services programs in Minnesota — involving potentially billions of dollars in suspicious billing — is prompting renewed scrutiny of whether some naturalized Americans obtained U.S. citizenship under false pretenses and whether denaturalization could now be used more aggressively.
The fallout has already led the Department of Health and Human Services to freeze certain childcare payments to Minnesota, citing alleged fraud involving daycare providers throughout the past decade.
Immigration authorities have confirmed they are reviewing whether fraud uncovered in Minnesota could provide the legal basis to revoke U.S. citizenship from naturalized individuals who concealed or misrepresented material facts during the immigration process.
Denaturalization is legally constrained, requires individualized civil court proceedings and historically has been used sparingly.
KAROLINE LEAVITT WARNS ‘PEOPLE WILL BE IN HANDCUFFS’ AS FEDS ZERO IN ON MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL
Attorney David Schoen said it remains legally viable but under extraordinary circumstances.
He said on Fox News the process would likely trigger «significant» court challenges but «it is legally possible. In an extraordinary circumstance, we’d have to know the facts.»
Quality Learning Center in Minnesota was found at the center of an alleged childcare fraud scandal in the state. (Madelin Fuerste / Fox News Channel)
Schoen emphasized that immigration law already provides clearer mechanisms for removing noncitizens, particularly lawful permanent residents who violate the law, describing denaturalization as a far more extraordinary step requiring fact-specific scrutiny.
COMER SUMMONS MINNESOTA OFFICIALS AS HOUSE PROBES MASSIVE SOCIAL SERVICES FRAUD
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on «Fox & Friends» that the administration is «not afraid to use denaturalization,» and confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State Department are «looking at» whether citizenship could be revoked in connection with those of Somali origin in the Minnesota fraud probe.
DHS confirmed it is actively reviewing immigration and naturalization cases involving migrants from 19 countries of concern, including Somalia, to determine whether any individuals obtained U.S. citizenship through fraud that could warrant denaturalization.
«Under U.S. law, if an individual procures citizenship on a fraudulent basis, that is grounds for denaturalization,» DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Fox News.
The review focuses on whether fraud occurred during the immigration or naturalization process, including false statements or marriage fraud used to obtain legal status or citizenship. DHS stressed that denaturalization is governed by strict legal standards and applies only under limited circumstances.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the Minnesota investigations Wednesday, sharply criticizing the state’s handling of fraud and linking the scandal to illegal immigration in a Truth Social post.
«Much of the Minnesota Fraud, up to 90%, is caused by people that came into our Country, illegally, from Somalia,» Trump wrote.
«Lowlifes like this can only be a liability to our Country’s greatness,» he added. «Send them back from where they came, Somalia, perhaps the worst, and most corrupt, country on earth.»
Federal prosecutors say their investigation has expanded to suspicious billing across 14 Medicaid-funded programs, where providers billed about $18 billion since 2018. A preliminary assessment cited by prosecutors suggests «half or more» of that amount could be fraudulent.
The widened probe builds on yearslong scrutiny of Minnesota following some of the largest benefit-fraud cases ever prosecuted in the state, including a pandemic-era food aid scheme involving roughly $250 million in alleged losses. Federal officials say those cases exposed systemic weaknesses in oversight that may extend across multiple aid programs.
Quality Learning Center manager Ibrahim Ali denied any fraud took place, despite a recent report by independent journalist Nick Shirley. (Pool)
HHS CUTS OFF MINNESOTA CHILD CARE PAYMENTS OVER ALLEGED DAYCARE FRAUD SCHEME
Minnesota is home to one of the largest Somali communities in the country. Census Bureau–based estimates suggest roughly 260,000 people of Somali descent live in the U.S. and close to 100,000 are in Minnesota.
Republican lawmakers argue that fraud on such a scale raises broader questions about whether individuals involved were truthful throughout the immigration process — and whether citizenship should shield offenders who obtained it through deception.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., called for the deportation of all Somali immigrants involved in fraud cases in Minnesota.
SENATE PRESSURE MOUNTS AS MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL CONTINUES TO UNFOLD
«I have three words regarding Somalis who have committed fraud against American taxpayers: Send them home. If they’re here illegally, deport them immediately; if they’re naturalized citizens, revoke their citizenship and deport them quickly thereafter. If we need to change the law to do that, I will,» he wrote on X.
The renewed focus on denaturalization also aligns with broader efforts inside the Trump administration to tighten the naturalization process itself.
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow has previously criticized the current citizenship test as «too soft,» calling for deeper civics knowledge and more rigorous English evaluation throughout the naturalization interview.
Historically, the federal government has pursued only a small number of denaturalization cases each year. Civil liberties groups warn that expanding its use could raise due-process concerns, teeing up a potential legal battle.
minnesota fraud exposed,immigration,somali immigrant community,state department
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An affordable housing nonprofit and group of nearby residents filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), asking the court to «preclude» the agency from deploying tear gas and chemical or smoke-related munitions that were affecting nearby homes in Oregon.
The suit comes amid months of clashes between DHS agents and anti-immigration-enforcement groups, including Antifa, outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility near Interstate 5, where illegal immigrants have been detained and processed.
The Gray’s Landing houses involved in the suit — which was brought by REACH Community Development and supported by the progressive groups Democracy Forward and Protect Democracy — lies kitty-corner to the ICE facility on the Willamette River.
DHS SHARES ‘VIDEO EVIDENCE’ TO JUSTIFY BORDER PATROL’S TEAR GAS USE DURING CHAOTIC CHICAGO IMMIGRATION RAID
Federal agents clash with protesters outside a downtown U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon, Oct. 4, 2025. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
In the filing, the plaintiffs called DHS’ actions «shocking» and asked the court to ban immigration enforcement agents from using chlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS gas/»tear gas») and other crowd control tools «unless the use of such munitions is necessary to protect against an imminent and concrete threat to the lives of federal officers or other persons.»
The suit claims officers have deployed pepper balls, CS gas and the like «toward and around» the low-income housing complex «repeatedly when faced with no violence from protesters or imminent risk of harm.»
The nearby residents claimed to have suffered acute respiratory distress, ocular burning sensations and post-traumatic stress disorder episodes due to ICE’s forceful enforcement strategies.
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«The government causing poisonous gas and chemicals to enter plaintiffs’ bodies violates their right to bodily integrity, which the Supreme Court has long recognized as a component of the right to liberty,» the suit claimed.
REACH CEO Margaret Salazar said that as a residential community, Gray’s Landing houses families, senior citizens, veterans and handicapped people who are «repeatedly exposed to chemical agents.»
«Children are coughing indoors, seniors are struggling to breathe, and daily life has become a source of stress and fear.»
TRUMP ADMIN SUES ILLINOIS GOV. PRITZKER OVER LAWS SHIELDING MIGRANTS FROM COURTHOUSE ARRESTS
An anti-ICE demonstrator wearing a keffiyeh is led away by authorities in handcuffs. (TPUSA Frontlines)
Democracy Forward leader Skye Perryman added that chemicals being used by the feds are also discouraging protesters from «using their voices.»
«Federal officers know that poison is flooding apartments where families live, where children sleep, and where seniors and veterans seek safety—and they keep using them anyway, fully aware of the severe harm they cause. There is no legal or moral justification for this use of force–it is a profound abuse of power and violates the U.S. Constitution. We are in court to stop it.»
Daniel Jacobson, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a statement the government is «poisoning» residents.
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President Donald Trump previously tried to deploy Oregon National Guard troops to quell springtime unrest in Portland, while Oregon sits among the top five states with the largest year-to-year increase in ICE arrests according to the Salem Reporter.
More than 660 people have been arrested by the feds there in 2025.
After Trump indicated during the summer that DHS would be asked to focus on certain problem areas of the country, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek remarked, «I don’t take kindly to the fact that the federal administration is picking on particular cities.»
DHS TORCHES ‘BAMBOOZLED’ DEMS FOR CALLING ICE CRACKDOWN ‘VICIOUS LIES’
In November, Sen. Jeffrey Merkley, D-Ore., slammed the administration for «disturbing» raids he said are «terrorizing our communities» and allegedly detaining people «solely» based on race.
«Trump is using ICE to stoke fear and uncertainty in our communities, shredding our Constitution in the process,» Merkley claimed.
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, another Oregon Democrat representing Tillamook and part of Portland, led a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem demanding information on the types of irritants and munitions being used against protesters.
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«More than a dozen advocates outside the facility have reported unprovoked attacks by Homeland Security police and FPS officers,» she claimed in the October missive, which was also signed by Merkley, Sen. Ron Wyden, and Rep. Maxine Dexter.
Fox News Digital reached out to the DHS for comment. While the agency did not directly respond for comment, Secretary Kristi Noem said in a recent statement that she will seek prosecution for all who doxx ICE agents.
«These criminals are taking the side of vicious cartels and human traffickers. We won’t allow it in America,» she said, as the agency appeared to defend its use-of-force tactics, citing the Portland facility being «under siege» for some time.
«Rioters have attacked law enforcement officials, destroyed federal property, and have posted death threats at the facility. Outside of the facility, graffiti on the sidewalk reads ‘Kill Your Masters’,» the agency said in a July statement.
«Across the country, federal law enforcement has come under attack. Gunmen opened fire on Border Patrol and ICE officers in Texas over the Fourth of July weekend on two separate occasions, seriously wounding two,» the statement added.
immigration,illegal immigrants,oregon,portland,us protests,democrats
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Pierre-Antoine Lengen, jefe de la Policía Judicial Suiza. Foto: ReutersIdentifican 113 heridos
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Eric Bonvin, director general del Hospital del Valais. Foto: ReutersINTERNACIONAL
Trump claims White House doctors report him in ‘perfect health,’ says he ‘aced’ third straight cognitive exam
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President Donald Trump kicked off 2026 by claiming that White House doctors gave him another clean bill of health.
«The White House Doctors have just reported that I am in ‘PERFECT HEALTH,’ and that I ‘ACED’ (meaning, was correct on 100% of the questions asked!), for the third straight time, my Cognitive Examination, something which no other President, or previous Vice President, was willing to take,» Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Friday.
«P.S., I strongly believe that anyone running for President, or Vice President, should be mandatorily forced to take a strong, meaningful, and proven Cognitive Examination,» he added. «Our great Country cannot be run by ‘STUPID’ or INCOMPETENT PEOPLE!»
JAKE TAPPER SUGGESTS HE COVERS TRUMP’S AGE TO MAKE UP FOR OVERLOOKING BIDEN
President Donald Trump speaks during the New Year’s Eve Party at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 31, 2025. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump, who will turn 80 on June 14, 2026, has faced growing scrutiny over his health, something that was the focus of his recent interview with The Wall Street Journal. He told the newspaper that he regretted undergoing advanced imaging in October, saying it gave way to increased questions about his health.
«In retrospect, it’s too bad I took it because it gave them a little ammunition,» Trump told the Journal. «I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t, because the fact that I took it said, ‘Oh gee, is something wrong?’ Well, nothing’s wrong.»
In October, Trump had a cardiovascular and abdominal scan, something that Navy Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, the physician to the president, noted in a memorandum to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
In his report, Barbabella stated that the evaluation, which he described as being part of the president’s «ongoing health maintenance plan,» included advanced imaging, lab tests and preventative health assessments. Barbabella stated that «Trump continues to demonstrate excellent overall health» and noted that the president «continues to maintain a demanding daily schedule without restriction.»
Leavitt read Barbabella’s report during a press briefing on Dec. 1. The summary that Leavitt read clarified that, «Advanced imaging was performed because men in his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health.» The summary noted that the imaging was done as a preventative measure «to identify any issues early, confirm overall health and ensure the president maintains long term vitality and function.»
The summary noted that Trump’s cardiovascular and abdominal imaging were «perfectly normal.» Additionally, it said that «all major organs appear very healthy.»
President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign event, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
EXCLUSIVE: INSIDE TRUMP’S PRIVATE SCHEDULE AS MEDIA FIXATES ON HIS HEALTH
While Trump maintained that scrutiny and speculation about his health were unwarranted, the Journal reported that those close to the president said they had to speak loudly in meetings because he struggles to hear. The outlet also noted that the president has been criticized for seeming to fall asleep during recent White House events, something Trump denies.
Trump told the Journal that he didn’t fall asleep at recent events, saying that he likes to close his eyes because he finds it «very relaxing.» He also blamed some of the incidents on photo timing, saying that, «Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink.»
The president also denied that he struggles with his hearing. The Journal reported that «Trump grew sarcastic» when asked about it, saying «I can’t hear you. I can’t hear you. I can’t hear a word you’re saying.» He then said that he sometimes has trouble hearing «when there’s a lot of people talking.»
Then-President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with then-President Joe Biden at Trump’s inauguration in the Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)
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Health was a central issue of the 2024 presidential race, particularly before then-President Joe Biden dropped out. Trump has often accused Biden of concealing the true extent of his health issues with the public.
Speculation about Biden’s struggles were fueled by his lack of interactions with the press and reluctance to take part in unscripted exchanges. The 46th president’s apparent cognitive issues became increasingly clear when he struggled during a debate with Trump in June 2024. During the debate, Biden appeared to lose his train of thought and stumbled over words.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
politics,donald trump,health,white house
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