Republicans weigh making foreign-born public fraudsters deportable, subject to denaturalization

Amid ongoing investigations into public fraud in Minnesota, Republicans are preparing a bill to make such schemes deportable offenses and appear willing to even explore denaturalization of convicted citizens.

Minnesota, specifically, has become a hot-spot for immigration enforcement amid revelations of widespread public fraud linked to the Somali expat community in Minneapolis. Viral reporting from independent journalist Nick Shirley and others highlighted the prominence of allegedly fake day care centers in the city that received public funds.

Those revelations, and other fraud schemes, prompted a crackdown by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the area that has led to clashes with the local community. 

"Long overdue," says Rep. Carter

Speaking on the “John Solomon Reports” podcast this week, Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., touted the importance of a planned bill to make convicted fraudsters of foreign origins eligible for deportation and denaturalization. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., has sponsored the measure in the upper chamber.

“[T]his is something that's long overdue and something that is very serious that should get the attention of anyone who is involved in any kind of scam, any kind of criminal activity, who happens to be a naturalized citizen or happens to be an immigrant, because this is something that that could result in them actually being deported or denaturalized, and should result in that,” he said. 

“This type of fraud is something we cannot tolerate as Americans and particularly as members of Congress. We have a responsibility to protect taxpayers' money.”

Biden policies may have allowed fraud to flourish

Carter specifically pointed to the daycare center issue, highlighting rule changes under the Biden administration that he opined made it easier for bad actors to defraud the system.

“They scrapped a rule that would require child care centers to at least verify that kids actually attended their facilities and that were receiving federal funds,” he said. “And this, of course, led to fraud, and it thrived after that.”

It remains unclear whether the legislation will secure enough support to overcome the Senate filibuster and become law.

Fraud schemes have attracted considerable attention in other states in recent months, including more linked to the Somali community. In late December, for instance, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) suspended payments to the Somali-run Gateway Community Services after finding the group over-billed the state by more than $1 million.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.