State Watch

Walz, Patel compete for credit on new Minnesota fraud searches

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by Sophie Brams - 04/28/26 4:23 PM ET

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by Sophie Brams - 04/28/26 4:23 PM ET

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and FBI Director Kash Patel each rushed to claim credit for a sweeping law enforcement operation across the Minneapolis area on Tuesday after federal officers conducted raids at multiple businesses as part of an ongoing fraud investigation.

Agents executed criminal search warrants “relating to rampant fraud of U.S. taxpayers dollars” in the Twin Cities area, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Raids were conducted on 22 locations, mostly targeting childcare and daycare providers that receive Medicaid funding, sources told Nexstar’s KARE 11 in Minneapolis.

Walz framed the operation as a successful collaboration between state and federal partners, asserting that the raids stemmed from irregularities first detected by Minnesota agencies.

“If you commit fraud in Minnesota you’re going to get caught — and that’s exactly what we saw today,” he wrote on the social platform X. “We catch criminals when state and federal agencies share information. Joint investigations work, and securing justice depends on it.”

“Today’s raids by state and federal law enforcement happened because our state agencies caught irregular behavior and reported it,” he added, noting “that’s how the system is supposed to work.”

Patel pushed back hours later, accusing Walz of attempting to take credit for the work of the FBI and Justice Department.

“Come again?” he wrote on X. “This FBI and DOJ with our DHS partners drafted and executed every search warrant today. But go ahead and take credit for our work while we smoke out the fraud plaguing Minnesota under your governorship.”

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin had similar criticism for Walz on Tuesday, saying he had “zero credibility on the issue,” in a post on X. Mullin claimed the governor “willingly ignored and downplayed” fraud in his state.

At the same time, the City of Minneapolis moved to distance itself from Tuesday’s activities.

“The City of Minneapolis is not involved in the federal operations being reported around Minnesota today, and as of 9:30 a.m., MPD has not been asked to assist with the execution of federal warrants,” a post on the city’s X account read. “We understand that any federal actions in our neighborhoods may spark fear among residents, and we will continue to marshal City resources to help the community in the aftermath of Operation Metro Surge.”

The Trump administration has had Minnesota in its crosshairs for months, sending approximately 3,000 federal agents to the state for an immigration crackdown that drew widespread protests and led to the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens during enforcement operations.

Among the businesses reportedly swept up in Tuesday’s raids was the Quality Learning Center, a Minneapolis daycare featured in a December video by independent journalist Nick Shirley investigating the state’s “billion-dollar” fraud scheme.

Dozens of people have been charged in connection with the fraud probe, which dates back to 2022, a majority of whom are of Somali descent.

President Trump has moved to end temporary legal protections for Somalians living in the U.S. and made several divisive remarks about immigrants from the country in his State of the Union address in February. A federal judge blocked the effort last month, days before Somalia’s designation was set to expire.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid funding to Minnesota has also been temporarily suspended over fraud concerns, according to the Trump administration. Walz, who dropped his reelection bid amid mounting scrutiny, slammed the move as “political punishment” in February.

Tuesday’s operation comes on the heels of an executive order signed last month that established a task force to “coordinate and accelerate a comprehensive national strategy to stop fraud, waste, and abuse” in various government programs.

“The task force and the DOJ will be relentless in exposing these fraudsters wherever they may be hiding,” Vice President Vance, who leads the task force, wrote on X.

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