Minnesota’s political leaders have faced another round of fresh criticism as Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan appeared in a hijab while praising the state’s Somali community during a visit to the Karmel Somali Market.
“The Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota…the Somali community has always been a part of my Minnesota,” Flanagan said in a video clip reposted by the Senate Republicans.
Her speech comes as federal immigration agents have stepped up arrests of illegal aliens connected to heavy crimes around the Twin Cities, while ongoing fraud investigations in Minnesota – previously spotlighted by The Dallas Express – continue to reveal problems linked to Somali-led organizations.
Flanagan, who has previously said on her campaign website that she is a Catholic, also told the Somalians in Minnesota, “We’ve got your back… things are scary right now, and just know that there are more people who are looking out for you than you know.”
However, issues connected to Somali leaders and fraud rings tied to those leaders in Minnesota have not gone unnoticed by President Donald Trump.
Trump has called Minnesota a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” and even revoked Temporary Protected Status for certain Somali nationals as a response – citing those billions of dollars in mysteriously missing funds tied to Somali groups, as well as an influx of new gang activity.
“Nine Billion Dollars was STOLEN FROM THE STATE OF MINNESOTA by Illegal Somalian Criminals. They must pay a big price, NOW!!!,” Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social on December 19.
In a previous post on November 21, Trump also said, “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER!”
The timing of Flanagan’s remarks on support for the community overlaps with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s “Operation Metro Surge,” launched earlier this month.
ICE officials have reported over 400 arrests in Minnesota tied to the operation, targeting criminal illegal aliens described as “the worst of the worst,” including pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and drug traffickers.
“Tim Walz and Jacob Frey failed to protect the people of Minnesota. They let these monsters and child predators roam free,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
Many of those 400 arrested were allegedly illegal aliens from Somalia. However, ICE has stressed to the public that the focus of these crackdowns is on those with criminal records – not just those without citizenship. Protests have continued to pop up across Minnesota in response to the arrests, with clashes between activists and ICE agents going viral on social media.
Now, Flanagan’s “My Minnesota” speech could not have come at a worse time for the state.
As previously reported by DX on December 1, a voter fraud case involving approximately 600 fake voter registrations has ties to Somali organizations in Rep. Ilhan Omar’s district, obviously raising some big election integrity questions.
That report also covered welfare fraud exceeding $1 billion in Minnesota alone, including the Feeding Our Future scandal, which prosecutors say is the largest COVID-era fraud scheme in the country, with dozens of convictions as of press time, mainly among Somali community members.
House Republicans, including Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, have now launched their own investigations into the billion-dollar fraud schemes that took place under Gov. Tim Walz’s administration. The investigation accuses state officials of ignoring whistleblowers and even retaliating against them to avoid further political fallout for Walz and Company.
GOP Rep. Tom Emmer has called the Walz team “incompetent” and “unwilling” to tackle the issues.
“The Committee has serious concerns about how you as the Governor, and the Democrat-controlled administration, allowed millions of dollars to be stolen. The Committee also has concerns that you and your administration were fully aware of this fraud and chose not to act for fear of political retaliation,” Emmer wrote in a letter to Walz.
