Agriculture Secretary Orders SNAP Recertifications In Four Minnesota Counties Amid Fraud Claims And Tensions Over Somali Community

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has directed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to conduct recertifications for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households in Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington and Wright counties, asking state officials to verify continued eligibility and unenroll any ineligible recipients.

In a letter to Gov. Walz, Rollins instructed state authorities to ensure that SNAP households in the four counties "meet all eligibility requirements for SNAP, including by accounting for the income and resources of any excluded household members, conducting in-person interviews, and using federal eligibility tools like the improved, cost-free Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program database." She added that, after reviewing recertification information, officials should make determinations on eligibility and "unenroll any ineligible households."

What Rollins Is Asking For

Rollins's request specifically calls for:

• In-person interviews with SNAP recipients in the named counties;
• Verification of income and the resources of excluded household members;
• Use of federal verification systems such as the SAVE database;
• Unenrollment of households found to be ineligible after recertification.

Context And Controversy

While SNAP recipients nationwide routinely undergo periodic recertification to confirm ongoing eligibility, Rollins has recently raised concerns about program integrity, alleging that deceased individuals and people committing fraud have received benefits. Those allegations are part of a broader push from the administration for wider reapplication and verification across federal benefit programs.

Rollins's letter follows a string of tensions between the Trump administration and Minnesota officials. President Trump publicly criticized Gov. Walz and disparaged Minnesota's Somali immigrant population, calling that community "garbage" during a Cabinet meeting. Immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota increased afterward, focusing on residents from Somalia. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said her son was stopped by ICE agents; the Department of Homeland Security has disputed that specific claim.

Related Federal Allegations

Separately, Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to Gov. Walz alleging that 1,834 so-called "ghost students" in Minnesota received roughly $12.5 million in federally funded grants and loans. McMahon described these cases as instances where applicants were not ID-verified, did not live in the United States, or may not have existed.

State Response

Gov. Walz has strongly rejected the administration's criticisms and defended Minnesota's Somali residents. He described the president's remark as "unprecedented for a United States president" and emphasized concern for children in Minnesota who heard the comment. In a post on the social platform X, Walz highlighted Minnesota's high rankings for safety, jobs, retirement and quality of life, adding, "A bet against Minnesota is a bad bet."

Demographics

Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States. About 84,000 residents in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area identify as Somali or Somali descent; 58% of Somalis in Minnesota were born in the U.S., and 87% of the state's foreign-born Somalis are naturalized U.S. citizens. Hennepin County — one of the counties Rollins singled out — has among the highest concentrations of Somali residents in the nation.

Reporting for this article references letters and public statements from federal officials and Minnesota leaders. The situation remains politically charged as federal scrutiny of benefit programs overlaps with debates about immigration enforcement and community protections.