A major fraud scandal is erupting in Minnesota, where members of the state’s Somali community have been implicated in a massive scheme that funneled taxpayer dollars to the Al-Shabaab terrorist organization.
According to emerging reports, individuals allegedly exploited Medicaid by falsely diagnosing children with autism, triggering an astronomical spike in state-paid claims.
Between 2018 and 2023, spending on autism services in Minnesota exploded from $3 million to $399 million. During that same period, autism centers jumped from 41 facilities to 328, with a significant share concentrated in Somali-majority neighborhoods. Authorities now believe that a portion of these funds was diverted overseas to support Al-Shabaab terrorists.
The revelations are fueling outrage over how easily the system was abused—and how taxpayer money intended for vulnerable children instead ended up in the pockets of extremists openly hostile to the US. Critics are pointing directly at reckless immigration policies that allowed these networks to flourish and are calling for tougher enforcement, tighter vetting, and large-scale deportations.