Senior Minnesota federal prosecutors fired after dispute over ICE shooting probe and welfare-fraud cases
Senior Minnesota federal prosecutors, including First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson, were fired by the Department of Justice after a dispute over how to handle the federal probe into the shooting of an ICE officer; Thompson reportedly favored treating the incident as an assault/obstruction on a federal officer and opposed investigating the officer’s widow and possible co‑conspirators. Their removal also takes a lead off a major Minnesota welfare‑fraud investigation tied to alleged Somali‑run nonprofit schemes, prompting DOJ to send additional prosecutors and federal agents while Treasury and IRS units probe money‑movement and tax irregularities — a surge that Minnesota officials have criticized as politically driven and harmful to public trust.
📌 Key Facts
- The Department of Justice, under Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy AG Todd Blanche, abruptly fired five senior prosecutors in the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office — including First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson — after a dispute over the handling of an ICE shooting probe; the prosecutors had earlier tendered resignations and were expected to be placed on months of paid leave but were terminated outright.
- Joseph Thompson, who had been leading a major state welfare‑fraud investigation, supported treating the ICE shooting as an assault/obstruction on a federal officer and expressed reservations about DOJ plans to investigate the victim Renee Good’s widow and possible co‑conspirators; FBI evidence was reported that Good and her spouse had been following ICE officers the day of the shooting.
- AG Bondi announced DOJ will dispatch a dedicated team of prosecutors to Minnesota to pursue widespread fraud tied to Somali‑run nonprofit operations, said the department stands ready to deploy similar prosecutorial surges to other states, and vowed “severe consequences” where fraud is “robbing American taxpayers.”
- DOJ cited a Minnesota enforcement toll of roughly 98 people charged and 64 convictions in related cases, and noted that most defendants are of Somali descent; critics say the crackdown disproportionately targets Minnesota’s roughly 100,000‑person Somali community.
- Treasury (via FinCEN) is investigating money‑service businesses that sent alleged Minnesota social‑services fraud proceeds to Somalia for potential diversion to al‑Shabab and warned those businesses could face anti‑money‑laundering liability; the IRS’s Civil Enforcement arm is auditing related financial institutions and forming a task force on pandemic‑era tax credits and 501(c)(3) abuses, while Treasury is developing training for Minnesota law enforcement and has said it is examining whether Gov. Tim Walz’s role amounts to negligence or worse.
- Border Patrol and DHS‑aligned officials said additional federal lawyers and prosecutors have been sent to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, with hundreds of additional federal officers and thousands of agents deployed to pursue immigration‑related cases (including alleged assaults on federal officers); officials also reported agents facing harassment from anti‑ICE protesters and emphasized plans to actively charge immigration cases.
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey publicly condemned ICE’s presence in the city, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sought a temporary restraining order to block the ICE surge (a judge declined to rule immediately, giving DOJ time to respond); Ellison called the raids “destructive,” said they drain local resources and erode public trust, asserted the actions are politically motivated, and noted Minnesota law prevents local police from holding people solely on ICE detainers.
📊 Relevant Data
Somali immigration to Minnesota began in the early 1990s as refugees fled civil war in Somalia, with resettlement facilitated by voluntary agencies such as Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and Catholic Charities, supported by federal policies like the Refugee Act of 1980, leading to family reunification and secondary migration drawn by job opportunities and community networks.
Somali and Somali American Experiences in Minnesota — MNopedia
From 2010 to 2022, Minnesota's Black non-Hispanic population grew by 150,357 people, from 272,757 to 423,114, representing a 55% increase, while the White non-Hispanic share decreased from 83% to 76% by recent estimates, driven in part by immigration including from African countries.
Minnesota population by year, county, race, & more — USAFacts
Misreading the extent of Somali poverty in Minnesota contributed to lax oversight in social service programs, where assumptions of high need led to expanded benefits without sufficient fraud safeguards, exacerbating vulnerabilities in pandemic-era aid distribution.
How Misreading Somali Poverty Led Minnesota into Its Largest Welfare Scandal — American Enterprise Institute
Studies indicate that sanctuary policies, such as those in Minnesota limiting cooperation with ICE, are associated with no increase in overall crime rates and potentially a decrease in property crimes, with one analysis showing 35.5 fewer crimes per 10,000 people in sanctuary counties compared to non-sanctuary ones.
The Effects of Sanctuary Policies on Crime and the Economy — Center for American Progress
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
"Rufo uses Minnesota’s Somali fraud uproar as a springboard to argue that organized foreign fraud gangs—ranging from Eastern European credit‑card crews to overseas call centers—are systematically targeting West Coast Americans and that liberal local policies, weak prosecution priorities, and lack of immigration cooperation leave law enforcement ill‑equipped to stop them."
🔬 Explanations (6)
Deeper context and explanatory frameworks for understanding this story
Phenomenon: High incidence of fraud in Somali-run social service programs in Minnesota
Explanation: COVID-19 policy waivers suspended monitoring and verification requirements, creating opportunities for rapid escalation of fraudulent schemes in programs like child nutrition and Medicaid, amplified by structural integration challenges and community networks
Evidence: Interrupted time-series analysis shows a 3,847%-5,720% expenditure surge post-March 2020 waivers, with monthly fraud initiations increasing from 0.9 to 3.2; 79.8% of defendants initiated schemes during this period, linked to absent guardians and suitable targets per Routine Activity Theory
Alternative view: Economic strains from poverty and remittances creating desire for fraud; community dynamics exploiting trust and cultural ties to enable collusion
💡 Shifts focus from individual or cultural failings in the community to systemic policy failures in oversight, complicating narratives that attribute fraud solely to immigrant exploitation
Phenomenon: High incidence of fraud in Somali-run social service programs in Minnesota
Explanation: Socioeconomic pressures including poverty, unrecognized professional credentials, and financial obligations like remittances to Somalia create desire for fraudulent shortcuts, combined with vulnerabilities in public programs that inadequately guard against provider-recipient collusion
Evidence: High-profile cases like Feeding Our Future ($250 million fraud) and Medicaid schemes ($43 million) involve Somali defendants; author, a former investigator, notes pressures from low-wage jobs and family support needs, with programs relying on self-attestation and facing resource-intensive investigations
Alternative view: Policy relaxations during COVID enabling opportunity; political exploitation accusing regulators of bias to deter oversight
💡 Highlights victims within the community (e.g., recipients unaware of fraud) and systemic program flaws, challenging coverage that implies widespread community complicity without addressing economic desperation
Phenomenon: Trump administration's targeted immigration enforcement against Somalis in Minnesota
Explanation: Deployment of federal agents and termination of Temporary Protected Status as a response to alleged fraud scandals, serving political goals to criticize Democratic leadership and advance anti-immigration agenda in a key state
Evidence: Trump's statements link fraud to Somali community, terminating TPS and deploying agents amid investigations; echoes past terrorism cases and aims to hold Gov. Tim Walz accountable for oversight failures
Alternative view: Direct response to scale of fraud and national security concerns from earlier terrorism investigations
💡 Introduces political motivations beyond fraud enforcement, complicating coverage that frames actions as purely law-and-order measures by highlighting potential xenophobic targeting
Phenomenon: Crime disparities and public safety trends
Explanation: According to Howard Husock, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, in a 2025 op-ed, the fraud in Minnesota's social services stems from progressive anti-racist policies that misinterpret Somali immigrant poverty as evidence of systemic racism, leading to lax oversight and reluctance to scrutinize welfare programs for fear of appearing racist.
Evidence: Husock points to demographic data showing Somali refugee influx since the 1990s increased Minnesota's Black population significantly, with poverty rates misattributed to U.S. racism rather than immigration origins, resulting in policies that reduced policing and program monitoring post-George Floyd, enabling billion-dollar fraud schemes.
Alternative view: Alternative views attribute fraud primarily to pandemic-era policy relaxations and economic desperation within immigrant communities, as noted in New York Times reporting on oversight failures during Covid-19 aid expansions.
💡 This explanation complicates typical coverage by shifting focus from individual criminality or policy lapses to cultural and ideological factors in progressive governance, suggesting that anti-racism efforts inadvertently enabled fraud rather than direct negligence by leaders like Walz.
Phenomenon: Ethnic and racial demographic transitions
Explanation: A 2023 study by the Migration Policy Institute details that Somali migration to Minnesota was driven by U.S. refugee resettlement policies in response to Somalia's civil war, with initial placements by NGOs like Lutheran and Catholic services creating community networks that facilitated chain migration and demographic clustering in areas like Minneapolis.
Evidence: The study highlights how federal refugee programs resettled over 100,000 Somalis in the U.S. since 1991, with Minnesota becoming a hub due to strong social service support and family reunification, leading to a population of over 107,000 by 2024 and associated challenges like concentrated poverty.
💡 This connects the fraud story to broader migration policies, challenging narratives that frame Somali communities solely through crime by emphasizing policy-driven demographic shifts and integration challenges over inherent group tendencies.
Phenomenon: Rise of populism and political realignment
Explanation: In a 2025 Wall Street Journal analysis, political experts argue that Republicans are leveraging the Minnesota fraud scandal to attack Democratic leadership like Gov. Tim Walz, portraying it as evidence of failed oversight on immigration and welfare, thereby fueling populist anti-immigration sentiments and realigning voters in key states ahead of elections.
Evidence: The article references House Oversight Committee hearings and political commentary showing how the scandal, involving over $1 billion in fraud, is used to criticize Walz's administration, linking it to broader national debates on immigration and federal spending, with impacts on midterm election dynamics.
Alternative view: Some analyses suggest the scandal reflects genuine governance failures rather than purely political opportunism, as per New York Times reporting on systemic fraud issues beyond partisan blame.
📰 Source Timeline (7)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- DOJ, under AG Pam Bondi and Deputy AG Todd Blanche, formally fired five prosecutors in the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office on Wednesday, including First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson.
- Those prosecutors had previously tendered resignations and were expected to be on months of paid leave, but were instead terminated outright.
- Fox’s sources say Thompson supported treating the case as an assault/obstruction on a federal officer and believed the shooting was justified, but had reservations about DOJ’s plan to also investigate Renee Good’s widow and possible co‑conspirators.
- The article reports FBI evidence that Good and her spouse had at some point been following ICE officers the day of the shooting, echoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s public claim that Good was 'stalking and impeding' ICE.
- Thompson had been leading a major state welfare‑fraud probe before his ouster, meaning his firing removes him from that high‑profile investigation.
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison confirms his office sought a temporary restraining order to block the ICE surge and that the federal judge declined to rule immediately, giving DOJ until Monday to respond.
- Ellison characterizes the existing ICE surge as 'destructive,' saying it has risked public safety, drained local resources, increased fear and eroded Minnesotans’ confidence in government.
- He alleges Trump is targeting Minnesota for political reasons, tying the surge to Trump’s grievance over losing the state and calling the escalation 'founded on lies and untruths.'
- Ellison reiterates that under Minnesota law local law enforcement cannot hold people solely on ICE detainers if they would otherwise be released, directly rebutting the administration’s 'sanctuary' narrative.
- Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino publicly confirms that 'additional lawyers and prosecutors have been sent into the area here, and more are on the way' and that they will actively charge immigration‑related cases in line with Trump’s agenda.
- Bovino says DOJ and DHS prosecutors will focus on cases including assaults on federal officers, warning that 'anyone that wants to assault a federal officer, look out.'
- He describes operations as spread across Minneapolis and St. Paul with 'hundreds' of additional federal officers and 'thousands of agents now spread out' conducting Title 8 immigration enforcement.
- The article details agents facing 'frequent harassment' from anti‑ICE protesters but claims morale is high, adding context to the on‑the‑ground dynamic.
- It reiterates Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s profane repudiation of ICE ('get the f--- out of Minneapolis') and his rejection of DHS’s account of the Renee Good shooting, underscoring the city–federal political confrontation.
- Provides detailed 2024 nonprofit revenue totals by state from ProPublica/IRS data, including California at $593.4B, New York at $445.8B, Pennsylvania at $247.3B, Texas at $219.6B, Washington at $139.5B, New Jersey at $113B, and Minnesota at $124.2B.
- Highlights that Minnesota’s 41,267 nonprofits reported $124.2B in revenue, putting the state among the top revenue totals nationwide despite its smaller population.
- Reports Attorney General Pam Bondi’s fresh Fox News quote that DOJ is dispatching a team of prosecutors to Minnesota and stands 'ready to deploy to any other state where similar fraud schemes are robbing American taxpayers.'
- Clarifies that the ongoing Minnesota crackdown builds on the 2022 $250M Feeding Our Future child‑nutrition fraud case that Garland previously called the largest pandemic‑related fraud uncovered at that time.
- Treasury, via FinCEN, is investigating money service businesses that sent Minnesota social‑services fraud proceeds to Somalia for potential diversion to al‑Shabab.
- Treasury says affected money service businesses may face liability for failing to comply with anti‑money‑laundering laws.
- IRS Civil Enforcement is auditing financial institutions connected to the laundering and preparing a task force focused on pandemic‑era tax credits and 501(c)(3) abuses tied to the Minnesota schemes.
- Treasury is developing training for Minnesota law enforcement on using suspicious activity reports and other financial‑crime data.
- Bessent publicly states that Treasury is examining whether Gov. Walz’s role amounts to mere negligence or something more serious.
- Pam Bondi announces DOJ will dispatch a dedicated team of prosecutors to Minnesota to help pursue widespread fraud tied to Somali‑run nonprofit operations.
- DOJ confirms it is preparing similar prosecutorial surges for other states that may exhibit comparable fraud patterns.
- Bondi states on Fox News that there will be "severe consequences in Minnesota" and that the department stands ready to act wherever fraud "is robbing American taxpayers."
- The article reiterates and contextualizes DOJ’s Minnesota figure of 98 people charged and 64 convictions, emphasizing that most defendants are of Somali descent and noting criticism that the crackdown targets a community of roughly 100,000 Somalis in Minnesota.