Minnesota-based YouTuber Nick Shirley said Somali migrants followed him while he filmed what he described as evidence of daycare fraud in Minnesota.
Shirley posted a video on Friday showing multiple purported Somali-run daycare centers in Minnesota — including one that reportedly collected $4 million in taxpayer funds — that did not appear to have children present. In the video, Shirley said he was followed while documenting the locations, though the footage itself does not appear to show the individuals.
“Now we’re being followed by the Somalis,” Shirley said. “We have a group of Somalis tailing us in our vehicle now.”
READ: Minnesota Day Care Listing Leads to Governor Walz’s Office, Sparking Oversight Questions
Prior to being followed, Shirley visited Sweet Angel Child daycare, where he encountered individuals he described as alleged Somali fraudsters. The encounter escalated into a confrontation outside the daycare as individuals disputed his questions and refused to provide clear answers about enrollment or operations.
The 43-minute video shows Shirley visiting multiple daycare centers that reportedly received state funds and, in several cases, finding no children on site, while KSTP reported that the Quality “Learing” Center accumulated 95 violations from a Minnesota agency between 2019 and 2023. The Treasury Department is probing claims that money tied to the scheme may have ended up benefiting Al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based Islamist terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaeda.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said Dec. 18 that suspected fraud in Minnesota’s Medicaid program climbed past $9 billion. Several state employees accused Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz of carrying out “systemic” retaliation against whistleblowers who flagged the schemes as federal prosecutors pursued multiple cases. Walz later said the state “attracts criminals” but urged viewers not to demonize Somali residents.
Following Shirley’s viral video, Walz’s office said Sunday it launched new investigations after footage surfaced documenting apparent fraud across state-funded programs. Walz’s office told Fox News his administration has strengthened oversight in response.
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