A far-right YouTuber's viral video has reignited a crackdown on Somali-owned day care centers in Minnesota, sparking concerns about xenophobic tropes and potential immigration enforcement.
Nick Shirley, the creator of the video, has a history of using his platform to target immigrants and promote anti-immigrant narratives. His content often features sensationalized headlines and interviews with individuals who spread xenophobic and Islamophobic beliefs.
The Trump administration's war on immigrants has been ongoing for years, but this latest development has raised concerns that Shirley's video may have contributed to the escalation of tensions in Minnesota. Immigration enforcement officials have announced plans to visit 30 sites suspected of fraud across Minneapolis, without specifying whether immigration enforcement will be a part of the crackdown.
Immigrant rights advocates are worried that the fallout from Shirley's video will exacerbate the harm already being done to Minnesota's immigrant communities at a time when Trump has taken to calling Somali people "garbage" at his rallies.
"The very real-world consequence is that it's going to exacerbate the situation that we have in Minnesota right now where we have a lot of people, including U.S. citizens or people with lawful status being arrested and detained by ICE," said Ana Pottratz Acosta, who leads the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic at the University of Minnesota Law School.
Shirley's video builds off of the growing interest in a nonprofit fraud scandal in Minnesota involving a pandemic-era program focused on child hunger. However, experts argue that this is not the kind of oversight that will prevent bad actors from exploiting public funds.
"This narrative feeds into larger narratives around certain immigrant communities," Pottratz Acosta said. "There are bad actors in every community and just because certain people commit fraud, it doesn’t mean that every person who fits that same demographic profile is a bad actor."
The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. We understand the challenge we face in Trump and the vital importance of press freedom in defending democracy.
In order to effectively combat this narrative, The Intercept needs to grow its reporting capacity to hit the ground running in 2026.
Nick Shirley, the creator of the video, has a history of using his platform to target immigrants and promote anti-immigrant narratives. His content often features sensationalized headlines and interviews with individuals who spread xenophobic and Islamophobic beliefs.
The Trump administration's war on immigrants has been ongoing for years, but this latest development has raised concerns that Shirley's video may have contributed to the escalation of tensions in Minnesota. Immigration enforcement officials have announced plans to visit 30 sites suspected of fraud across Minneapolis, without specifying whether immigration enforcement will be a part of the crackdown.
Immigrant rights advocates are worried that the fallout from Shirley's video will exacerbate the harm already being done to Minnesota's immigrant communities at a time when Trump has taken to calling Somali people "garbage" at his rallies.
"The very real-world consequence is that it's going to exacerbate the situation that we have in Minnesota right now where we have a lot of people, including U.S. citizens or people with lawful status being arrested and detained by ICE," said Ana Pottratz Acosta, who leads the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic at the University of Minnesota Law School.
Shirley's video builds off of the growing interest in a nonprofit fraud scandal in Minnesota involving a pandemic-era program focused on child hunger. However, experts argue that this is not the kind of oversight that will prevent bad actors from exploiting public funds.
"This narrative feeds into larger narratives around certain immigrant communities," Pottratz Acosta said. "There are bad actors in every community and just because certain people commit fraud, it doesn’t mean that every person who fits that same demographic profile is a bad actor."
The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. We understand the challenge we face in Trump and the vital importance of press freedom in defending democracy.
In order to effectively combat this narrative, The Intercept needs to grow its reporting capacity to hit the ground running in 2026.
i mean i get it people are worried about scammers and fraud but targeting an entire community because of it? that's just not right 
somali people are americans too they deserve the same rights and respect as anyone else. we need to stop perpetuating these xenophobic tropes and stereotypes, it's not fair to immigrant communities 
we should be working together to create a more inclusive society, not tearing each other down 
. It's concerning that a far-right YouTuber like Nick Shirley has been able to tap into the anxiety around immigration, using sensationalized headlines and interviews with individuals who spread Islamophobic beliefs.
. While it's understandable that there may be concerns about public funds being misused, the fact remains that this narrative disproportionately targets certain immigrant communities, perpetuating systemic racism and xenophobia.
i need someone to fact check this guy ASAP 
. It sounds like his inflammatory content is being used to fuel xenophobic fears and perpetuate anti-immigrant narratives. The fact that immigration enforcement officials are planning to visit 30 sites without specifying whether they'll be looking for fraud is really worrying.
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like what is wrong with people? these kids are innocent they dont deserve to be caught up in all this xenophobic drama & it's so sus that he's building off a non-profit fraud scandal to justify his own racist agenda 
Newsflash: just because someone from a certain community commits fraud doesnt mean the whole community is guilty! 
we need more reporters on the ground like The Intercept who can fight for press freedom & hold ppl in power accountable 
. We need to call him out on this and stand up against hate speech once and for all 
OMG you guys just saw a video that's literally ruining lives in Minnesota - there are already attacks on Somali-owned daycares because some dude Nick Shirley made a crazy viral vid about how they're "stealing" from the system 
nick shirley is literally spreading hate speech like it's nobodies business and now there's a crackdown on day cares owned by somali ppl 
ana pottratz acosta is right, just bc one person commits fraud doesn't mean everyone from that community is a bad actor 
we need to focus on real issues instead of scapegoating ppl for political gain 
. I'm worried sick for the Somali community, they're already facing so much trauma and racism in this country... and now this?! 
. I mean, who needs nuanced discussions about immigration policy when you can just whip up some outrage and watch the drama unfold? It's like a bad reality TV show, but instead of celebrities, its ordinary people getting caught in the crossfire 
. And let's be real, if Shirley is doing his job as a far-right YouTuber, then he's actually helping to expose the hypocrisy in Trump's policies and the fear-mongering that goes on around immigration enforcement. Maybe this crackdown on Somali-owned day care centers will even lead to some positive change... unlikely, but hey, you can't rule out the possibility 
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. Let's hope that The Intercept can grow its reporting capacity in 2026 and keep shining a light on the truth and justice