Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she has "absolutely" no regrets about the 2020 MEALS Act because "it did help feed kids." (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Minnesota has faced scrutiny for alleged mismanagement of federal funds accessed through these waivers, including in distributing money for the "Feeding Our Future" program, which authorities believe to be the largest fraud scheme in the history of the pandemic.
INSIDE MINNESOTA’S $1B FRAUD: FAKE OFFICES, PHONY FIRMS AND A SCANDAL HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
The scheme exploited the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to waive many of its standard requirements for the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the pandemic, including relaxing its requirement for non-school-based distributors to participate in the program.
Fox News Digital first reported on the status of the fraud in July. FBI Director Kash Patel described it at the time as "one of the worst" in Minnesota history — and as of November 2025, more than 75 individuals have been charged in connection with the scheme, according to federal prosecutors.
President Donald Trump has recently announced a flurry of new actions to crack down and investigate fraud schemes in Minnesota, which he has assailed as a "hub of money laundering activity," and cited as the basis of his decision to terminate deportation protections for hundreds of Somali migrants.
The sun shines on the Minnesota State Capitol on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)
Charging documents show that roughly 300 "food sites" in the state served little or no food, with the so-called "food vendors" and organizations fabricated to launder money intended to reimburse the cost of feeding children.
FBI officials told Fox News that the investigation and resulting trials and indictments continue to impact the state, and have already touched off legislative reform in Minnesota.
They added that the investigation into the fraud remains ongoing, and that additional charges are expected, though they did not immediately share more details.
"The egregious fraud unveiled in the Feeding our Future case epitomizes a profound betrayal of public trust," Patel told Fox News Digital earlier this year.
"These individuals misappropriated hundreds of millions in federal funds intended to nourish vulnerable children during a time of crisis, redirecting those resources into luxury homes, high-end vehicles and extravagant lifestyles while families faced hardship," he added.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons speaking at a press conference at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston on June 2. (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons pushed back on the assertion on Tuesday, telling Fox News Digital the incident never happened.
"How do they know that?" Omar countered. "How do they know that? Is he saying he has documentations of all the people they pulled over? Because we've been asking for that information. We haven't gotten it from them, so if ICE confirming now that they collect data and refusing to provide it to members of Congress, then that's an interesting admission."
"ICE has absolutely zero record of its officers or agents pulling over Congresswoman Omar’s son," Lyons said.
"It speaks volumes that Congresswoman Omar is leveling this accusation with absolutely zero proof."
Lyons called Omar’s comments to the local outlet a "ridiculous effort" to demonize federal law enforcement. He also said her rhetoric contributes to a spike in threats against ICE personnel, citing a 1,150% increase in assaults and an 8,000% increase in death threats.
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When asked to respond to Lyons' comment, Omar told Ballasy, "Well, their crackdown has terrorized my community, so they need to stop."
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ilhan-omar-defends-meals-act-despite-ties-massive-minnesota-fraud-scheme