Somali nationals linked to a $250M fraud scheme in Minnesota may be deported after FBI crackdown.

FBI Director Kash Patel has warned that Somali nationals convicted in a Minnesota-based fraud scheme involving over $250 million in diverted federal food aid and childcare funds could face denaturalization and deportation. During a September Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Patel described the operation as part of a larger criminal network, referring to those involved as "the tip of a very large iceberg." The FBI sent additional agents to Minnesota to dismantle the scheme, which targeted vulnerable populations and took advantage of pandemic-era benefits. While specific charges and individuals were not mentioned in all reports, the case has sparked national interest in immigrant fraud and federal efforts to enforce immigration and criminal laws.