Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

Lawmaker Explains Why Somali Scammers Swiped Millions From Minnesota

Screenshot/YouTube/Moment of Truth

Somali scammers who have looted as much as $2.5 billion from Minnesota targeted the state due to officials touting the generosity of its welfare programs, a Republican state lawmaker told American Moment CEO Nick Solheim.

State employees accused Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota of engaging in “systemic” retaliation against whistleblowers who warned of the fraud schemes as the Justice Department is pursuing three federal cases involving at least $1 billion in fraud. Republican State Rep. Max Rymer of Minnesota told Solheim on Monday’s episode of “Moment of Truth” that the state’s policies “encourage refugee resettlement” to “take advantage of” the state’s welfare benefits.

“I don’t know how to explain it more than it’s, it’s policies which encourage refugee resettlement. It’s policies which encourage people to come from other states and other countries to specifically Minnesota, in some cases to take advantage in a legitimate way of the welfare system and in some ways to take advantage in a dishonorable or an unlawful way,” Rymer told Solheim. “And we see the repercussions of that, not only like the cultural impact, but again the economic impact of we had an $18 billion surplus and took it to a $6 billion deficit. And meanwhile, our US attorney basically said it’s at least $2.5 billion worth of fraud.”

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Walz admitted Sunday that the state “attracts criminals,” but demanded that Somali residents not be demonized during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Rymer said that while Somalis were not responsible for all of the fraud, they were a contributing factor.

“I won’t say that all fraud has been perpetrated by Somalis. There, there’s been plenty of cases where the fraudsters look like me or you,” Rymer told Solheim. “But because Minnesota, like I said before, constantly boasts about how generous our welfare programs are, that attracts a certain type of mindset. And over and over and over again, you, you’re, you’re, catering to a group that is, uh, you know, that wants to stay to themselves.”

Rymer told Solheim that the fraud was concentrated in programs to aid people with autism and food assistance.

“I would really draw the distinction: It’s not, it’s not blaming a group of people, but it is blaming what we’re enabling, it’s blaming the system that we built,” Rymer told Solheim.

Welfare fraud schemes in Minnesota have reportedly been used to fund the radical Islamic terrorist group al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliate based in Somalia. President Donald Trump announced he would end “Temporary Protected Status” for Somalis in Minneapolis in response to the allegations.

“I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Nov. 21.

Temporary Protected Status is usually granted when it would be unsafe to return people illegally in the United States to their home country due to a natural disaster, armed conflict or other situations, according to the website for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).