A Somali-run daycare in Minneapolis was broken into and vandalized, with “important documentation,” including records related to employees and children at the daycare, being reported missing.
The break-in occurred as a national spotlight continues to shine on Minneapolis and daycare facilities run by Somali immigrants in the wake of massive fraud allegations.
Nasrulah Mohamed, manager of Nokomis Day Care Center, told reporters Tuesday that the facility was broken into overnight Wednesday. He believes the incident occurred between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
SOMALI MINNESOTANS BEING ‘SCAPEGOATED’ IN FRAUD INVESTIGATION, NYT WRITER CLAIMS
A door to the building was damaged, he said. The Minneapolis Police Department confirmed the break-in to Fox News Digital.
A video taken by Fox Minneapolis shows portions of a wall gutted. The building appeared to have a security camera on its exterior. It wasn’t clear if the cameras recorded footage of what happened.
In addition to vandalism, the suspect or suspects took documents related to employees and children at the daycare, Mohamed said.
He cited a viral video posted online by independent journalist Nick Shirley, who visited nearly a dozen daycare facilities while seeking evidence of fraud, for the daycare being targeted.
The 42-minute video, posted online last week, garnered millions of views and quickly went viral, drawing the attention of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other administration officials.
“This is devastating news, and we don’t know why this is targeting our Somali community, as one video made by a specific individual made this all happen,” Mohamed said.
He claimed the daycare has received “hateful” and “threatening” messages over the past several days.
“This is frightening and exhausting,” he said.
Nokomis Daycare Center was operating in good standing and is licensed to care for up to 71 children, including infants, toddlers and preschool-age children, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (MDHS) website.
The center had two violations in October for menus that failed to comply with the nutritional requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and missing documentation to show that a teacher met qualifications. Both violations were corrected, the MDHS said.
The day care center was not one of the facilities featured in Shirley’s video.
The video surfaced amid widespread fraud allegations, up to $1 billion, in Minnesota. Federal prosecutors have already indicted and charged dozens of people in connection with the alleged fraudulent activity.
The Trump administration has also begun investigating suspected fraud in the city. On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it was freezing child care payments to Minnesota unless the state can provide proof that the payments are for legitimate purposes.
In 2025, Minnesota received $185 million for such payments, HHS said.
