On December 30, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that 85 Somali nationals have been charged in connection with a broader investigation into fraud in Minnesota. This investigation, which has been ongoing for several months, has resulted in charges against 98 individuals, with over 60 already convicted. Bondi highlighted the scale of the alleged fraud under Governor Tim Walz's administration, with citizen journalist Nick Shirley's reporting playing a crucial role in uncovering the situation. Shirley's investigation revealed daycare centers in Minnesota receiving substantial federal funding despite a lack of visible children, raising questions about the proper use of federal resources. The FBI has increased personnel and resources to address large-scale schemes exploiting federal programs.

In a separate legal development, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated a lawsuit against the state of Virginia regarding its law that allows undocumented immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition and financial aid at public colleges and universities. The DOJ argues that this policy violates federal immigration law and discriminates against U.S. citizens. The lawsuit challenges a provision that permits students who have resided in Virginia for a specified duration to qualify for reduced tuition, regardless of immigration status. This legal action is part of a broader trend of challenges against state policies that extend educational benefits to undocumented immigrants, which have been pursued under both the Trump and Biden administrations.

Additionally, internal documents from the DOJ suggest that senior officials may have influenced the prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who is contesting charges related to human smuggling after his deportation to El Salvador. U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw's recent ruling indicates that the charges may have been initiated in retaliation for Abrego Garcia's legal challenge against his deportation, which was previously deemed unsafe due to gang violence in El Salvador. The case raises significant concerns about the motivations behind federal prosecutions, particularly in the context of immigration enforcement and the implications for individuals facing deportation. A hearing scheduled for late January will further address Abrego Garcia's motion to dismiss the charges, which have been postponed from their original trial date.