A Somali immigrant in Minneapolis claims someone broke into his daycare and stole "important documents." [Photo=New York Post]

A Somali immigrant in Minneapolis claims someone broke into his daycare and stole "important documents," but police said there was no reported theft at the facility, the New York Post reported on December 31 (local time).

The alleged burglary occurred amid a multi-billion dollar fraud scandal involving Minnesota's Department of Human Services that has garnered national attention, with a particular focus on daycare facilities operated by Somali immigrants, leading to the arrest of dozens of individuals in the community on charges of defrauding government funds.

Nasrulah Mohamed, the director of Nakomis Day Care Center, told reporters that the suspect allegedly broke into the facility through the kitchen at the back of the building on Tuesday, damaging the wall and entering the office.

He stated that the alleged intruder stole "important documents," including child enrollment information, staff documents, and checkbooks.

However, a preliminary report from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) indicated that "no victim report was filed with the officers."

The MPD stated that the center later contacted them to provide further information, but an updated police report was not immediately confirmed.

Video footage of the alleged break-in, shared by Nakomis Daycare Center, showed a hole in the wall, appearing to be a common storage space with drywall revealing stacked concrete blocks behind it. 

Mohamed attributed the incident to a video posted last week by YouTuber Nick Shirley, who visited nearly a dozen daycares in search of evidence of fraud.

He said, "This is shocking news, and I don't know why our Somali community is being targeted when one video made by a certain individual has triggered all of this," claiming to have received "hateful" and "threatening" messages in the past few days.

"This is scary and exhausting," he said, calling Shirley's reporting "false."

Nakomis Daycare Center was not among the facilities featured in Shirley's video, which has garnered over 110 million views.

Minneapolis authorities have so far uncovered at least $1 billion in fraud, including welfare, housing, and childcare subsidies, with federal prosecutors warning that the actual amount could reach $9 billion.

Ninety-two people have been arrested in connection with the fraud scheme, 80 of whom are Somali immigrants.

On Tuesday night, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a freeze on all childcare subsidy payments to Minnesota, totaling $185 million for the year 2025 alone, unless a showing of legitimate need is provided.

In response, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who faces criticism for allegedly allowing over $1 billion in taxpayer funds to be siphoned off by fraudsters during his tenure, blamed the Trump administration on social media.

"This is Trump's long game," Walz wrote on X on Tuesday night.

"We've been cracking down on fraudsters for years. This is a serious issue. But this is what he's planned all along. He's politicizing this issue to cut the budget for programs that help Minnesotans."

The Post visited several daycares that Shirley's video highlighted, including Quality Learning Center, which was suspiciously busy with children despite the state's Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) announcing last week that it had been shut down.

The DCYF later issued a questionable clarification, stating that the 'Learing' Center had initially announced its closure but then corrected itself to say it would remain open.

US NNP=Sung Ku Hong, Editor-in-Chief / Special Correspondent for this Newspaper NNP info@newsandpost.com