Minnesota is just the beginning. California and New York are “next”

Trump administration It seems to be publishing the same rules of the game that he used in it Minnesota– Making great use of fraud allegations to justify them Federal oversight—in other blue states across the country, starting with California and New York.

“POTUS loves Minnesota and its people. It’s a state where he has historically drawn Republican support, and he has long criticized (Gov. Tim) Walz for his incompetence and terrible leadership,” a senior White House official told WIRED. “The fraud is so blatant and widespread that it’s a good place to start, but it’s just the beginning. California and New York next.”

The approach appears to indicate a broader strategy to use investigations into alleged fraud as a pretext for federal operations in blue states across the country, potentially exposing tens of millions of Americans to heightened federal scrutiny and unchecked ICE activity as tensions between the White House and Democratic governors worsen. In response to the protests over this surge in Minneapolis, Trump He threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act on Thursday morning.

The White House declined to comment, referring WIRED to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A DHS spokesperson did not address the possibility of increased ICE presence in California or New York as a result of the alleged fraud investigations when reached for comment. “This is the largest DHS operation in history, and we will not get into resources or staffing numbers,” the spokesperson told WIRED on Tuesday.

The California and New York governor’s offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Since the end of December, the Department of Homeland Security has sent thousands of immigration agents to Minnesota in response to a variety of fraud allegations pushed by White House officials. The allegations in Minnesota stem largely from a viral YouTube video posted by 23-year-old right-wing creator Nick Shirley, who claimed to have exposed an alleged $100 million fraud scheme involving Somali child care centers. (numerous Local Minnesota outlets I’ve covered similar stories for years. It was nearly 100 people Chargedand nearly 60 people were convicted.) The video, which has received more than 3 million views, has been shared by figures such as Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance. Shortly after it went viral on X, the Department of Homeland Security ramped up its immigration enforcement efforts in Minneapolis. On January 7, an ICE agent shot and killed an individual Renee Nicole Gooda Minnesota resident and mother of three children. Protests across the state are continuous. In a speech Wednesday, Walz told residents: “If you see ICE in your neighborhood, get out that phone and hit the record button. Help us create a database of atrocities committed against Minnesotans — not only to create a record for future generations but to store evidence for future prosecution.”

Shirley It is expected to appear The House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Oversight will appear next week to discuss the alleged fraud in Minnesota.

In the weeks after the initial surge in Minneapolis, the administration threatened to freeze federal funds for programs like Medicaid in other blue states. Trump said so on Tuesday The administration could freeze federal payments to Sanctuary states On February 1st. When asked about ICE’s role in fraud investigations, the senior White House official explained that “if the scammers are illegal, they will be deported.”

“Governor Walz has ruined the state of Minnesota, but others, like Governors Gavin Newscomb, JB Pritzker, and Kathy Hochul, have done, in my opinion, an even more dishonest and incompetent job. No one is above the law!” Trump wrote On social truth last week. Him too to publish“California, under Gov. Gavin Newscomb, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s even possible??? Fraud investigation launched in California.”