Were the claims made about fake Somali daycare programs in Minnesota true?
Executive summary
The viral claims that “fake” Somali-run daycares in Minnesota were empty fronts stealing millions are not fully supported by available reporting: independent checks by Minnesota regulators found most centers featured in the viral video were operating as expected, and state and federal officials have not confirmed the specific facilities in the footage committed criminal fraud [1] [2]. At the same time, a much larger and ongoing federal inquiry into widespread social‑services and Medicaid-related fraud in Minnesota has surged resources to the state, and past prosecutions and audits show real problems in related programs—so the broader allegation that some fraud occurred is credible even while the social‑media framing of “empty Somali daycare fronts” is overstated and politically charged [3] [4] [5].
1. What the viral claim actually said and who amplified it
The allegation began with a 40‑minute video by conservative YouTuber Nick Shirley that showed him visiting multiple child‑care sites in Minneapolis and asserting several Somali‑run centers were nonoperational while still billing state funds, a post that quickly went viral and was amplified by politicians and social platforms [2] [6]. Media and federal actors responded: FBI Director Kash Patel and DHS officials posted that resources were being surged to Minnesota, and national coverage transformed a local compliance issue into a headline national scandal [3] [2].
2. What state investigators found when they checked the facilities
Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth and Families carried out compliance checks of the centers in the footage and reported that most were operating normally; investigators said one site was not yet open when visited, but they did not substantiate Shirley’s claim that the featured centers were empty fraud fronts [1] [2]. The state also confirmed there were “ongoing investigations” into several facilities but clarified the checks did not equate to criminal findings tied to the viral footage [7] [2].
3. The broader federal fraud investigations that contextualize the story
Separately from the video, federal prosecutors and agencies have been probing a sprawling pattern of fraud across multiple Minnesota social‑services and Medicaid programs, with some officials saying billions may be implicated and dozens of defendants already charged in related schemes—facts that make concerns about fraud in the state legitimate even if the social‑media narrative simplified or misattributed them [4] [5]. Authorities have emphasized that child care is only one of many program areas under review and that prosecutions to date relate to wider networks tied to pandemic and nutrition programs as well as behavioral health and housing payments [5].
4. Where the reporting diverges and the role of political and social pressure
Multiple outlets reported that Shirley’s work contained limited evidence for the sweeping claims and that targeting only Somali‑run centers raised concerns about bias and harassment; Somali providers reported threats and vandalism after the video, and state and local officials warned against vigilante investigations that disrupt licensed operations [8] [9] [6]. At the same time, conservative media and federal officials pushed a narrative suggesting enormous losses tied to the Somali community, and the story was used to justify stepped‑up enforcement and political pressure on Minnesota’s governor [10] [2].
5. What can and cannot be concluded from current reporting
Current reporting supports two conclusions: first, there is credible evidence of large‑scale fraud across certain Minnesota social‑services programs that warrants federal investigation [4] [5]; second, the specific charge that the daycares shown in Shirley’s viral video were “fake” front operations bilking taxpayers has not been substantiated by regulators and has been contradicted in several compliance checks [1] [2]. Reporters note limitations: state and federal probes are ongoing, and while some prosecutions have involved Somali‑descent defendants in past cases, investigators and fact‑checks found the video’s method and selective focus left many assertions unverified [7] [11].
Conclusion
The viral portrayal of “fake Somali daycare programs” as a simple, proven scandal is false in its specifics: regulators found most of the facilities in the footage operating normally and officials have not tied those particular centers to criminal fraud based on the video [1] [2]. Yet the larger story—that Minnesota has experienced significant social‑services fraud prompting extensive federal probes—is supported by reporting and past prosecutions, meaning legitimate investigations continue even as social‑media claims risk inflaming bias and harassment against Somali providers [4] [9] [5].