It all began after a video surfaced, alleging fraud in Somali-run child care centers in Minneapolis: strangers peering through windows, right-wing journalists showing up outside homes, influencers hurling false accusations.
In San Diego, child care provider Samsam Khalif was spooked by two men with a camera parked outside her home-based center, prompting her to circle the block several times before unloading the children.
“I’m scared. I don’t know what their intention is,” said Khalif, who decided to install additional security cameras outside her home.
Somali-run child care centers across the U.S. have become increasingly targeted since the video caught the attention of the White House amid its immigration crackdown. Child care providers worry about how they can maintain safe learning environments for impressionable young children.
In Minneapolis, many child care providers, who are predominantly immigrants, say they’re being antagonized, exacerbating the stress from the ongoing immigration enforcement activities that have engulfed the city.
One child care provider reported an incident where someone emerged from a car and defecated near the center’s entrance. The same day, a motorist yelled that the center was a “fake day care.” This provider has had to implement new lockdown procedures and now keeps blinds closed to shield children from unwelcome visitors and immigration enforcement actions.
“I can’t have peace of mind about whether the center will be safe today,” she said, choosing to remain anonymous for fear of being targeted. “That’s a hard pill to swallow.”
How the Focus on Somali Child Care Centers Started
The wave of harassment began following a video posted by right-wing influencer Nick Shirley, alleging that members of Minneapolis’s large Somali community were running bogus child care centers to collect federal subsidies.
The central claims of Shirley’s video – that these centers were billing the government for children they weren't caring for – were refuted by inspectors. However, the Trump administration attempted to freeze child care funding for Minnesota and other Democratic-led states until halted by court order.
Trump has repeatedly targeted Somali immigrants with derogatory remarks, further amplifying the stigma against them. In Minnesota, 87% of foreign-born Somalis are naturalized U.S. citizens.
The fraudulent schemes he referred to involved a wider network that reportedly scammed Minnesota out of $300 million meant for child and family welfare, contributing to an ongoing mistrust towards Somali communities.
Local Officials Act to Discourage Intimidation
Mayors and local officials are once again emphasizing their stance against such intimidation. Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced she would not tolerate harassment against Somali child care providers, while Ohio's Republican Governor Mike DeWine reassured the public that the state actively monitors child care centers receiving public money. He stressed that a child care provider's refusal to allow entry to strangers should not be interpreted as indicative of fraud.
Child care advocates warn that these fraud allegations distract from more pressing issues like extensive waiting lists for child care subsidy programs, which hinder parents from returning to work. There’s rising concern that fraud claims are politically motivated, undermining efforts to improve child care access.
