Federal officials said the searches targeted suspected misuse of taxpayer money, not immigration enforcement.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Federal agents searched 22 Minnesota sites Tuesday in a fraud investigation centered on taxpayer-funded social service programs, including child care and health-related providers in the Minneapolis area, federal officials said.
The coordinated searches placed Minnesota’s long-running fraud troubles back at the center of state and national politics. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations took part in the operation, with help from state and local agencies. Officials said the warrants were criminal search warrants tied to suspected fraud in public programs. They also said the action was not part of immigration enforcement, a key point in a state with a large Somali American community and recent tension over federal operations.
Agents began moving Tuesday morning at businesses across the Twin Cities, including child care sites and service providers that receive public money. Officers were seen carrying boxes from at least one Minneapolis child care center, while other agents entered buildings and secured records. The Department of Justice said the searches were part of an ongoing fraud probe. Vice President JD Vance, who has led a federal task force focused on fraud, said the administration would “find the fraudsters and prosecute them,” framing the raids as part of a broader push to protect taxpayer money.
Authorities did not release a full list of the 22 locations, and no complete charging document tied to Tuesday’s searches was immediately made public. Some sites were described by officials and local reports as Somali-owned or Somali-linked businesses, but federal officials did not say the investigation was aimed at any ethnic group. The searches appeared to focus on records connected to public payments, billing and eligibility. Officials said court-approved warrants were used. It remained unclear Tuesday how many people, if any, were arrested during the operation or whether new charges would follow soon.
The searches followed years of federal fraud cases in Minnesota involving public aid programs. The largest has been the Feeding Our Future case, in which prosecutors said defendants stole money meant to feed children during the pandemic. Dozens of people have been charged in that investigation, and federal prosecutors have secured many convictions since 2022. Other recent cases have focused on child care, Medicaid-funded services and autism-related programs. State agencies have also reviewed payments, tightened rules and flagged billing patterns they said raised concerns. The new raids added pressure on Gov. Tim Walz’s administration as lawmakers debate stronger oversight.
The legal path from a search warrant to charges can take weeks or months. Investigators may use seized files, phones, computers and banking records to compare public claims with services that were actually provided. Prosecutors must then decide whether the evidence supports charges such as wire fraud, health care fraud, theft of government funds or conspiracy. Officials said the investigation remains active. They did not say when the next public update would come. At the state Capitol, lawmakers were already weighing new anti-fraud steps, including stronger checks before payments go out and faster action when agencies find suspicious billing.
The searches unfolded in neighborhoods where many residents have watched the fraud cases with concern and frustration. Some business owners and community members have said fraud should be prosecuted without casting suspicion on Somali Americans as a whole. Federal officials echoed that line Tuesday, saying the warrants focused on alleged crimes, not immigration status. Local witnesses described a heavy law enforcement presence, with agents entering buildings and removing materials while nearby residents stopped to watch. At one site, officers used force to enter a day care building, adding to unease in an area already sensitive to federal enforcement actions.
By Tuesday afternoon, officials had confirmed the 22 searches but had not named all targets or announced a new indictment. The next milestone is expected when prosecutors unseal records, file charges or provide a fuller account of what agents seized.
Author note: Last updated Tuesday, April 28, 2026.