A Somali-operated daycare center in Minneapolis is claiming it was burglarized and vandalized early Tuesday morning, with the facility’s manager pointing fingers at a viral investigative video that exposed widespread daycare fraud tied to Minnesota’s Somali community.
Nasrulah Mohamed, the manager of Nokomis DayCare Center, told reporters Wednesday that the break-in resulted in the theft of “important documents,” including employee records and children’s enrollment paperwork. He said the facility has also received threatening voicemails in recent days, which he believes were incited by independent journalist Nick Shirley’s viral exposé.
“This is devastating news, and we don’t know why this is targeting our Somali community,” Mohamed said at a press conference. “One video made by a specific individual made this all happen.”
Although Nokomis DayCare was not featured in Shirley’s report, many Somali-linked daycare and learning centers were — and several were found to be shuttered during business hours, raising concerns over whether public funds were being misused. Shirley’s investigation has since triggered federal probes and a freeze on all child care payments to Minnesota by the Trump administration.
Minneapolis police confirmed a break-in report had been filed by Nokomis and said they are investigating the incident and the items allegedly stolen.
At the press event, Mohamed was joined by supporters holding signs like “Racism has no place in childcare.” Critics, however, remain skeptical of the break-in narrative and the timing of the press conference, accusing the daycare of trying to deflect from ongoing fraud probes. President Trump responded bluntly, calling the daycare’s claims “A total FRAUD!”
In a broader response to Shirley’s findings, Homeland Security agents have been conducting door-to-door inspections at suspected fraud sites. The state’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families said it had recently visited all the centers featured in the video during annual licensing reviews and plans to further investigate the allegations.
Meanwhile, other daycare operators featured in Shirley’s footage have gone on defense. Ibrahim Ali, the manager of the now-infamous Quality “Learing” Center — which was shown with no children present and a misspelled sign — insisted that his facility is legitimate.
“Kids come to us, clients come to us, their parents come to us – they’re here daily, they leave on time, they come on time,” Ali said. “There is no fraud going on whatsoever.”
Minnesota’s Somali community has been at the center of multiple fraud investigations in recent years. One of the largest scandals, known as the “Feeding Our Future” scheme, allegedly involved the theft of tens of millions in federal COVID relief funds meant for feeding children. The overwhelming majority of those charged were of Somali descent.
With federal funds frozen and legal scrutiny intensifying, Minnesota’s child care system — and its misuse — is now a national flashpoint.
The post Somali-Run Minneapolis Daycare Claims Break-In, Blames Viral Fraud Video For Targeting Community appeared first on Real News Now.
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