Minnesota Anti-ICE Relief Fund Shut Down After 2/3 of Applicants Flagged Over Fraud

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Hennepin County, Minnesota, approved $2 million in funding to local businesses in response to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operation, Operation Metro Surge. The county received over 300 applications and ended up distributing $500,000 to 82 applicants. However, over 200 applications were flagged for potential fraud, according to KARE 11.

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Lunde said that NextStage, the nonprofit that reviews applications for the county, discovered applications that appeared to have been fabricated using artificial intelligence, as well as applications copied across multiple businesses.

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The relief fund’s shutdown comes amid a broader federal investigation into alleged fraud involving Minnesota’s public benefit programs, particularly among members of the Somali community. In May, the US Department of Justice announced criminal charges against 15 individuals for fraud totaling over $90 million, including criminals who allegedly stole from “children with autism, the disabled, and the homeless.”

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