Political strategist Scott Jennings has suggested that the scandal involving Somali immigrants defrauding Minnesota won’t be resolved until a significant figure faces consequences. Speaking with CNN’s Abby Phillip, Jennings, a former adviser to President Bush, emphasized that meaningful change will occur only when someone in a position of power, responsible for oversight, is jailed. In a more extreme stance, Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna has called for a complete halt to immigration once Congress reconvenes.

The fraud in question centers on systemic issues within federally funded initiatives like the Child Care Assistance Program. Members of Minnesota’s substantial Somali community are accused of charging for services that were never provided. This fraudulent activity echoes the notorious $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to multiple convictions. Recently, a federal prosecutor claimed that since 2018, close to $9 billion from 14 federal programs in Minnesota might have been misappropriated.

The issue gained traction on Friday following a viral YouTube video by independent journalist Nick Shirley, which unveiled empty daycare centers purportedly run by Somalis and funded by taxpayers. This revelation has triggered federal investigations and reignited political tensions. During a Monday night segment, Jennings debated with Phillip, who argued that claims of inaction and lack of accountability were inaccurate. Jennings countered, acknowledging that while some accountability has occurred, Republicans believe it falls short. He further warned, in a remark praised by MAGA supporters, that this scandal is merely the beginning, suggesting widespread accountability issues in Democrat-led states and cities across the nation.

‘Look what’s going on in blue states across the country: nine billion in Minnesota, 70 billion in fraud in California, cooking the crime stats in Washington, D.C,’ Jennings said. ‘When is someone in a position of power going to go to jail for the rampant fraud? You can put all the low-level people in jail you want, but until somebody in charge goes to jail, it won’t stop.’ Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said earlier this month that fraud will not be tolerated and that his administration ‘will continue to work with federal partners to ensure fraud is stopped and fraudsters are caught.’ However, Republicans on Capitol Hill are pushing for severe new measures. 

Among them is Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (pictured), who has called for a total end to immigration amid the scandal. She wrote on X last night: ‘Our immigration system is incredibly broken, and, as you were seeing, there are many people who have come to this country and seriously abused it. The entire system needs an overhaul. I will be introducing an immigration moratorium as soon as we get back to Washington and the floor reopens. This is a necessary move in order to flush the system.’ The publication of Shirley’s video, which has now racked up more than 125 million views, sparked an immediate crackdown by the Trump administration. 

JD Vance reposted the footage on X, writing: ‘This dude has done far more useful journalism than any of the winners of the 2024 Pulitzer prizes.’ The vice president added: ‘What’s happening in Minnesota is a microcosm of the immigration fraud in our system. Politicians like it because they get power. Welfare cheats like it because they get rich. ‘But it’s a zero sum game, and they’re stealing both money and political power from Minnesotans.’

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Monday that officials had opened a fraud investigation in Minneapolis, while FBI Director Kash Patel on Sunday said that the agency was ‘surging’ resources to Minnesota. Patel said that previous fraud arrests in Minnesota were ‘just the tip of a very large iceberg.’ President Donald Trump has criticized Walz’s administration over the fraud cases to date. In recent weeks, tensions have been high between state and federal enforcement in the area as the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown focused on the Somali community in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, which is the largest in the country.

Among those running schemes to get funds for child nutrition, housing services and autism programs, 82 of the 92 defendants are Somali Americans, according to the US Attorney’s Office for Minnesota. Walz spokesperson Claire Lancaster said that the governor has worked for years to ‘crack down on fraud’ and was seeking more authority from the Legislature to take aggressive action. Walz has supported criminal prosecutions and taken a number of other steps, including strengthening oversight and hiring an outside firm to audit payments to high-risk programs, Lancaster said.