Hold onto your hats, folks—ICE is storming into Minnesota with a mission to clean up fraud at government-funded childcare centers.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is leading a high-profile operation targeting rampant fraud allegations in the state, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) zeroing in on businesses through site visits, social media campaigns, and criminal charges, as Axios reports.

This all kicked off when a viral YouTube video by Nick Shirley exposed alleged fraud at multiple daycare centers in Minnesota, sparking a firestorm of attention.

From Viral Video to Federal Action

Once Shirley’s video hit the internet, DHS and the FBI couldn’t ignore the outcry, with both Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel stepping up to address the claims.

For much of the past year, the current administration seemed reluctant to push broad worksite enforcement, even issuing apologies after a controversial raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia due to public backlash.

But now, the tide has turned, and DHS is making its presence felt with a renewed focus on Minnesota through a project called Operation Twin Shield, which launched in September.

Operation Twin Shield Takes Center Stage

DHS has flipped the script on its usual social media strategy, posting videos of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) teams conducting site visits to businesses across the state.

These clips show officers grilling employees about E-Verify compliance—a federal system to check work authorization—and notifying businesses of I-9 audits after sending out “notices of inspection” days in advance.

Secretary Noem herself teased the escalation on social media, declaring, “More coming,” hinting at further enforcement actions on the horizon.

Community Impact and Legal Fallout

While DHS flexes its muscle, the local community is feeling the heat, with many businesses already slapped with subpoenas for records, according to Jaylani Hussein, executive director of Minnesota’s Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Hussein noted, “We’ve already heard many businesses who have received some subpoenas for documents,” signaling the breadth of this federal probe.

Earlier in December, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the area dropped a bombshell, charging six individuals and securing a guilty plea from a woman tied to the ongoing childcare fraud schemes.

National Spotlight on Minnesota Fraud

Even President Trump couldn’t resist weighing in, bringing up the issue during a Cabinet meeting in early December, which only amplifies the national spotlight on Minnesota.

While some might cheer the crackdown on taxpayer abuse, others worry about the ripple effects on small businesses and local families caught in the crossfire of these investigations.

Let’s be real—DHS is right to chase down fraud, but officials had better tread carefully to avoid turning this into a witch hunt that punishes the innocent alongside the guilty.