On a quiet downtown Minneapolis block, a day care that critics say usually sits dark and empty suddenly appeared full of life Monday, drawing renewed attention after a viral video accused it of being part of a massive fraud scheme.
According to the New York Post, the Quality “Learing” Center — the misspelling included — showed signs of activity as cars filled the parking lot and children moved in and out of the building.
The scene stood in sharp contrast to what nearby residents say they typically observe.
A local resident told The Post the bustle was out of character and described Monday’s activity as “highly unusual.”
“We’ve never seen kids go in there until today. That parking lot is empty all the time, and I was under the impression that place is permanently closed,” the resident said.
The sudden activity followed the release of a video by YouTuber Nick Shirley, who visited the site and suggested it was operating only on paper while collecting public funds. In the clip, Shirley questioned why the facility appeared empty despite records indicating it served dozens of children.
“You do realize there’s supposed to be 99 children here in this building, and there’s no one here?” Shirley asked in the video, posted online Friday.
No children were visible during Shirley’s visit. The center lists its hours as Monday through Thursday from 2 to 10 p.m.
On Monday, Ibrahim Ali — identified as the son of the owners and the center’s manager — pushed back on the claims, saying Shirley showed up before the facility opened.
“Do you go to a coffee shop at 11 p.m. and say, ‘Hey, they’re not working?’” Ali told The Post.
Ali also addressed the now-viral typo on the center’s exterior sign, blaming a graphic designer.
“What I understand is [the owners] dealt with a graphic designer. He did it incorrectly. I guess they didn’t think it was a big issue,” said Ali, 26, adding, “That’s gonna be fixed.”
Ali said about 16 children were inside the center on Monday afternoon.
As reporters observed the location, tensions flared. A woman opening the center at 2 p.m. dismissed Shirley’s reporting outright.
“We don’t have fraud. That’s a lie,” she said, before adding, “I don’t want to talk to you. I want to talk to my lawyer.”
Outside, another worker became confrontational, pulling out his phone to record a reporter.
“Don’t f–king come to this area. Get the f–k out of here,” the employee said.
Shirley’s video emerged amid a sweeping investigation into Minnesota’s taxpayer-funded social services, including child care programs. Authorities estimate up to $9 billion may have been siphoned through alleged fraudulent claims for services that were never provided.
Elsewhere in the city, ICE agents visited ABC Learning Center on Monday morning as part of the broader probe.
“They wanted two months of attendance [records], we gave them two months of attendance,” said Ahmed Hasan, the center’s director. “He said they were going to check if everything was correct.”
Hasan said fear has gripped many operators since the videos began circulating.
“That time, ICE was coming for the Somali community. We were scared to open the door,” he said. “They come with eight people. Five of them had masks. We thought they were ICE.”
Hasan described the allegations as politically motivated, calling the focus on Somali-run centers “a targeted situation” and “a political game.”
