The article outlines the Trump Administration’s multi-agency crackdown on fraud, highlighted by the creation of a new federal division and an intensive enforcement surge in Minnesota.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is launching a new division dedicated to national fraud enforcement.

• • Mandate: The division will prosecute criminal and civil fraud targeting federal programs, benefits, businesses, nonprofits, and private citizens.

  • Leadership: A new Assistant Attorney General will oversee multi-agency investigations, set national enforcement priorities, and advise the Attorney General on high-impact cases.

  • Goal: To identify and dismantle sophisticated, organized fraud schemes across various jurisdictions.

The administration is specifically targeting what it describes as a "fraud epidemic" in Minnesota, with several federal agencies taking aggressive action:

• • DOJ & FBI Activity: The DOJ has charged 98 individuals—primarily involving the "Feeding Our Future" and Medicaid programs—resulting in 64 convictions so far. The FBI is investigating potential links between healthcare fraud, elected officials, and terrorist financing.

  • DHS & Immigration Enforcement: The Department of Homeland Security has deployed roughly 2,000 agents to Minnesota. Actions include over 1,000 arrests of "criminal illegal aliens" and "Operation Twin Shield," which is vetting cases for potential denaturalization or loss of refugee status due to fraud.

  • HHS & CMS Intervention: The Department of Health and Human Services has frozen childcare payments and is enforcing laws requiring immigration sponsors to repay Medicaid benefits. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has paused payments to 14 Minnesota programs due to "substantial noncompliance."

  • Economic & Social Programs:

    • • SBA: Suspended 6,900 borrowers in Minnesota over $400 million in suspected fraudulent activity.

      • USDA: Demanded the state recertify all SNAP (food stamp) recipients to ensure eligibility.

      • HUD & DOL: Dispatched teams to investigate housing-assistance fraud and review the state’s unemployment insurance program.

The administration’s strategy combines the creation of permanent federal infrastructure (the new DOJ division) with a "surge" model of law enforcement. By doubling prosecution resources and freezing billions in federal funding, the administration aims to close systemic vulnerabilities and hold state officials and private actors accountable for the misuse of federal funds.

Establishment of a New National Fraud DivisionEnforcement Surge in MinnesotaSummary of Impact