Photo: Alamy
Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., introduced legislation to reward independent journalist Nick Shirley with the Congressional Medal of Honor for his report exposing mass fraud involving Somali-run daycares in Minnesota. Crane announced H.R. 6942 on Tuesday in a post on X, to honor Shirley’s “exemplary work.”
“Nick Shirley is a fearless citizen journalist who stood up to a corrupt system and exposed waste, fraud, and abuse being perpetrated against the American people,” he wrote in the thread. “His efforts to shed light on this historic scandal have resulted in seismic shifts to our political landscape virtually overnight.
“It is a testament to the power of the average American over the legacy media, and a vindication of the mission that DOGE has sought to implement,” he added. Although Shirley’s work went above and beyond the intervention of the average American, as the original report confronted multiple Somali “day care workers” and Minnesota leaders regarding the lack of children attending these centers.
Due to the exposure of empty Somali daycare centers that have received millions in taxpayer funding, potential fraud in other states has been discovered, leading the Trump administration to freeze $10 billion in federal child care funding to five states.
In addition, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has moved into Minnesota. They declared on X that it is their largest operation and they will “keep Americans safe and ERADICATE fraud.”
The largest DHS operation ever is happening right now in Minnesota.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 6, 2026
@POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem have rallied DHS law enforcement personnel to keep Americans safe and ERADICATE fraud.
We’re not leaving until the problem is solved. pic.twitter.com/KA4ChlFI6v
During an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, White House Border Czar Tom Homan confirmed that sanctuary cities will be flooded in a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and any fraud connected to it.
“Why Minneapolis? Why are they being prioritized right now? Because billions of dollars of fraud have been uncovered. We’re there because the priority sets it, but that show is going on the road,” he stated.
Tom Homan says Minneapolis is just the beginning, warning that a nationwide crackdown on sanctuary cities and massive fraud is about to expand to states like Illinois, New York, and California:
— Sean Hannity 🇺🇸 (@seanhannity) January 7, 2026
"The operation — yeah, I’m extremely happy, and this should come as no surprise to… pic.twitter.com/jObQQKbKdY
“I actually think Minneapolis is the tip of the iceberg.” He concluded, “I think we are going to find a hell of a lot more in Illinois, New York, and California.”
Shirley’s report on the Somali fraud in Minnesota changed the course of these departments and gave them the evidence needed to investigate mass fraud connected to immigration. He responded to the proposed Congressional Gold Medal legislation by simply stating, “This would be cool, thank you!”