Minnesota Republicans defend their focus on fraud despite the ICE surge that followed

"MINNEAPOLIS Minnesota Republicans have defended their decision to welcome social media influencers, including the MAGA-aligned content creator Nick Shirley, into the state to highlight the issue of fraud in Minnesota's child care programs. What followed was a weeks-long federal immigration enforcement surge that led to upheaval in and around Minneapolis, thousands of arrests and the deaths of two U.S. citizens."

"And in Minnesota, Democrats are leaning in. "I think the fraud issue is a pretext for this president to do what we have seen, which is fairly lawless, violent and, in cases, reckless actions against the people of Minnesota," Democratic Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said last week. "I also think the pretext was caused by the action of the Republicans to invite Nick Shirley, a YouTuber, into town.""

""Much of the information that one of the gentlemen in that video was providing was due to information he got from the House Republican staff," Minnesota Rep. Harry Niska, the party's floor leader, told reporters in December. "We have been ready and willing to provide information to anyone who wants to pursue this." GOP candidates in the state could face repercussions ahead of the midterm elections."

Minnesota Republicans invited social media influencers, including MAGA-aligned Nick Shirley, to highlight alleged fraud in child care programs. Shirley posted a viral video that prompted a weeks-long federal immigration enforcement surge in and around Minneapolis. The enforcement action resulted in thousands of arrests, community upheaval and the deaths of two U.S. citizens. Minnesota Democrats blamed Republicans for provoking the surge, while Republicans defended the invitation as necessary to expose fraud. Rep. Harry Niska said information used by the influencers came from House Republican staff. Political analysts said immigration overshadowed the fraud issue and likely harmed GOP candidates.

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