Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced that her agency is “suspending federal financial awards” to Minnesota and Minneapolis, citing evidence of “fraud” found by the Trump administration.
Rollins published a letter on Friday addressed to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, announcing the suspension of “all active awards and any future awards from USDA to the State of Minnesota and the City of Minneapolis, currently totaling over $129.18 million.” Rollins said the suspension will last "until sufficient proof has been provided that the fraud has stopped."
She also instructed Minnesota officials to “provide the USDA with payment justifications for all federal dollar expenditures from January 20, 2025, to the present" within 30 days. The Independent has contacted Walz for comment.
A spokesperson for the city of Minneapolis said officials are “communicating with state partners to understand the impacts of such a blanket cut to funding meant for residents most in need.”
“What’s abundantly clear is that Minneapolis is the latest target of the Trump administration -- willing to harm Americans in service to its perceived political gain,” the city spokesperson told The Independent.
The Independent has also contacted the USDA for more information on which programs will be impacted by this suspension.
The decision comes days after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, identified as Jonathan Ross, shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Protests have since erupted in Minneapolis and other cities across the U.S., including Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.
In a social media post announcing the decision, Rollins said the Trump administration has “uncovered massive fraud” and that “those in charge have ZERO plan to fix it.”
Rollins also wrote in her letter that “numerous non-profits and businesses have defrauded the federal government” while Walz and Frey have been in office. Rollins specifically cited the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal, which first emerged in 2022.
Dozens of people have been convicted in connection with the scheme, which prosecutors have said involved the theft of millions of dollars from a federally funded program designed to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Justice Department has characterized it as the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the U.S., and in March, Walz said he was “furious” with “criminals that preyed on the system that was meant to feed children.”
This comes as federal officials say they’re investigating alleged widespread social services fraud in the state.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said last week ICE agents were “conducting a massive investigation on childcare and other rampant fraud.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also announced a series of initiatives “to combat rampant government benefits fraud” in Minnesota on Friday.
Last month, Walz said he welcomes any support to fight fraud in Minnesota.
“You commit fraud in Minnesota, you're going to prison. I don't care what color you are, what religion you are. Anybody who wants to help us in that, we welcome that,” he said at the time.
Walz also announced Monday that he will not seek a third term in office, following weeks of heightened concern about alleged fraud schemes in the state. While Walz has faced criticism from the Trump administration over the scandals, he has not been accused of wrongdoing.
The Trump administration also paused federal funding for child care subsidies and other social services in five Democratic-led states, including Minnesota, earlier this week. The states sued, and a federal judge temporarily blocked the order on Friday, which will allow funds to continue flowing as the legal battle plays out.
