Minnesotans begged House Majority Whip Tom Emmer more than a decade ago to halt the flood of Somali refugees to the area, but the lawmaker scolded them for their concerns.
Minnesota’s Somali population is back in the spotlight after YouTuber Nick Shirley posted a video canvassing multiple Somali-run childcare centers accused of fraud. However, A resurfaced audio clip from “This American Life” shows that voters were concerned about mass Somali migration long before the recent controversy.
In an episode that aired in October 2016, journalist Zoe Chace narrated portions of the story, including a reflection on a July 2015 town hall event at Aces Bar in downtown St. Cloud. Describing the room as packed, Chace said one constituent told Emmer that he believed most people in the bar “are here to find out how you feel about assimilation of immigrants,” before playing a clip from the event.
“We did not ask for those Somalis. Nobody asked us if we, in St. Cloud, want those Somalis. And we understand that social groups, like the Lutheran social service and the Catholic charities, they’re dumping them in areas like St. Cloud,” the man could be heard stating.
“OK, and so the question is, how many more are coming? We didn’t ask for these people. Everybody that you read about is talking about this. So that is a main issue in this city,” the man added. “There is no control. The people have no control over any immigration. The mayor doesn’t. I don’t know.”
Data from the 2024 Census Bureau’s American Community Survey show that roughly 107,000 live in Minnesota, with 58% being born in the U.S. and 87% naturalized U.S. citizens, according to KTTC. Minneapolis has the state’s largest Somali population, with about 84,000 residents of Somali descent, followed by Hennepin County with roughly 50,000, the outlet reported.
In December, an estimated total of $9 billion or more in fraud was reported across 14 Medicaid services in Minnesota, according to CBS News. Over 90% of those charged in the massive fraud case were of Somali descent.
In the recorded town hall, Emmer pushes back on the man, with Chace describing the lawmaker as firing “a warning shot at the implicit racism” directed at Somalis. Emmer argues that Somalis are one of “the fastest-assimilating populations,” prompting audible groans of disapproval.
“Oh, you gotta be kidding me,” one man could be heard stating.
At the time of the event, Chace noted that a Somali man was in the room with other constituents. He eventually tried to speak for himself, telling the group in thickly accented English that he felt assimilated. Chace could be heard explaining his audio in the segment, stating the Somali man asked residents to meet him to address their “fears.”
The audience continued pressing Emmer to demand a vote on the refugees. One constituent, identified as Sue, pushed back as Emmer repeatedly asked what she wanted him to do, telling the lawmaker there had been a “huge economic burden placed” on them at the time because of the influx.
“I think I speak for a lot of people. I think the city of St. Cloud needs a breather. And we need to assimilate with the people that are — ” Sue could be heard stating before Emmer cuts her off.
“What does that mean? What does that mean?” Emmer asked.
Going back and forth, Emmer asks Sue point blank if she’s suggesting that “no more immigrants should be allowed to come to St. Cloud,” to which states it would be a “moratorium for a short time.” Additional people in the background could be heard shouting that the pause should be for the “whole United States,” before Emmer jumped in to state the request was simply not possible.
“All right, here’s the thing. All I can do is respond as open and honest as I can, Sue. That’s not something that I can do. That’s not something that our constitution says that we do with people who are — ” Emmer could be heard telling her before Chace cuts to an audio clip of him directly talking to her.
Emmer responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment after publication, calling out the failed immigration policies over the years and how he’s proud to stand with the Trump administration to hold criminals accountable.
“Over the last decade, failed immigration policies have allowed millions of illegal aliens into our country, including many violent criminals and many who cheated the system to get here illegally,” Emmer said. “Americans will no longer be taken advantage of by illegals gaming taxpayer-funded programs. I’m proud to partner with President Trump and FBI Director Patel to hold these criminals accountable.”
After Shirley’s YouTube video thrust allegations of Somali-run day care fraud into the spotlight, FBI Director Kash Patel announced Sunday that the agency would ramp up its investigation into the state.
Emmer commented multiple times on the viral video, accusing Walz of sitting “idly by while billions were stolen from hardworking Minnesotans.”
“What Walz refused to address for SEVEN YEARS, Nick Shirley uncovered in ONE DAY. The fraud in Minnesota is so brazen and so vast that it’s IMPOSSIBLE Walz’s administration didn’t know about it,” Emmer posted on Saturday.
“Tim Walz and Keith Ellison have done NOTHING over SEVEN YEARS to stop the Somali fraud in Minnesota. And instead of taking any action regarding the bombshell daycare fraud reporting from over the weekend, Walz posted “happy caturday” with a photo of a cat,” Emmer followed up on Sunday in a post.
Days prior to Emmer’s town hall event, Emmer joined then Democratic Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison in creating the Congressional Somalia Caucus. The two released a joined statement in June 2015, touting that for them and “the constituents we represent, Somalia is not a far off foreign policy issue, it’s a matter of domestic policy and national security. We are committed to advocating on behalf of all of our constituents while ensuring that Somalia has the tools it needs to create strong democratic institutions that provide safety and economic opportunity to its people.”
Notably, the bar where Emmer spoke in 2015 about voters’ concerns has since shut down, and the former restaurant may be converted into a daycare center. According to KNSI Radio, applicant Ahmed Ismail requested a conditional use permit to allow Mother’s Love Childcare Center to serve up to 100 children, but the St. Cloud Zoning Board of Appeals postponed the proposal in May.
This story has been updated to include Representative Emmer’s response to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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