U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R) delivered opening remarks at a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration hearing he chaired this week called "Somali Fraud in Minnesota -- The Tip of the Iceberg."
The hearing focused on alleged fraud involving childcare services in Minnesota and broader concerns about improper federal payments.
"When the news broke about the level of childcare service fraud by Somali nationals in Minnesota, the American people were rightly shocked and outraged," said Cornyn.
He argued that the response to increased federal scrutiny in Minnesota was politicized.
"Sadly, as soon as the magnitude of the fraud was identified and amplified by an independent investigator, following an appropriate surge of DHS immigration resources into Minnesota, the mainstream media and the radical Left immediately began to call the U.S. government's actions racist," Cornyn accused.
He went on to frame the Minnesota case as part of a larger national problem involving fraud and improper payments.
"Fraud is fraud, and this recent episode, unfortunately, appears to be just the tip of the iceberg," Cornyn added.
Citing estimates from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Cornyn noted that the federal government loses between $233 billion and 521 billion annually due to fraud and improper payments. He also referenced cases in which individuals unlawfully present in the United States were allegedly receiving public benefits while facing criminal charges.
"President Trump's team at the White House has uncovered numerous examples of illegal aliens arrested for crimes who have also been receiving Medicaid, and these individuals have been arrested for a variety of crimes ranging from child abuse to domestic battery to burglary to murder," said Cornyn. He further explained that foreign nationals have been convicted in various fraud schemes, including "wire fraud, manufacturing, and selling counterfeit documents, fraudulently obtaining mass numbers of H-2B visas, and much more."
During the hearing, Cornyn outlined several proposals that aimed at strengthening oversight and fraud prevention, such as:
- Prioritizing thorough security vetting over processing speed
- Requiring biometric identification and identity verification before granting federal, state, or local public benefits, loans, or grants.
- Implementing automated and recurrent identity verification systems.
- Conducting random audits and in-person identity verification for publicly funded programs.
"It is our responsibility as the U.S. government to protect the American people. It's also our duty to protect the American people and preserve the integrity of our republic," said Cornyn. "If we fail those duties, we won't have a country any longer."
The hearing comes amid broader national debates over immigration enforcement, benefit eligibility, and federal oversight of public funds.
