As investigations into public fraud cases are underway in Minnesota, Republicans are preparing legislation that would classify such fraudulent activities as grounds for deportation and are even considering revoking citizenship from convicted naturalized citizens, Just The News reported on Monday.

Minnesota, in particular, has emerged as a focal point for immigration enforcement following the revelation of a wide-ranging public fraud scheme linked to the Somali immigrant community in Minneapolis. Reports from independent journalist Nick Shirley and others have highlighted the existence of purported daycare centers in the city that received public funds fraudulently.

These revelations and other fraud cases have led to increased enforcement actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the area, which has resulted in clashes with the community.

On "The John Solomon Reports" podcast this week, U.S. Representative Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) emphasized the importance of upcoming legislation that would allow for the deportation and denaturalization of fraud perpetrators from foreign countries. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is sponsoring this bill in the Senate.

"This is something that is long overdue, and it's a serious issue that every fraud and criminal activity perpetrator, whether they are a naturalized citizen or an immigrant, needs to pay attention to. They can and should be deported or stripped of their citizenship," Carter said. 

"This type of fraud is unacceptable to us as Americans, and especially as members of Congress. We have a responsibility to protect taxpayer dollars," he added.

Carter specifically pointed to the daycare center issue, claiming that regulatory changes implemented under the Biden administration made it easier for malicious actors to defraud the system.

"They eliminated the requirement for daycare centers to at least check to see if children were actually in attendance at the facility and if they were receiving federal dollars," he said. "That, of course, led to fraud, and then the fraud just flourished."

It remains unclear whether the bill will garner enough support to overcome a Senate filibuster and become law. To achieve more than 60 votes, Republicans would need to secure the support of at least five Democratic senators.

Fraud cases have drawn significant attention in other states in recent months, with more cases being linked to the Somali community. For example, in late December, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) stopped payments to Gateway Community Services, a Somali-operated organization, after discovering it had overcharged the state by more than $1 million.

Leading up to this year's midterm elections, Republicans are expected to highlight fraud cases extensively, as the issues of immigration, government spending, and law enforcement are intricately linked and expected to play to their advantage.

By NNP Chief Reporter Sung Ku Hong / Special Contribution to this Newspaper NNP info@newsandpost.com