In a viral moment from a January 7, 2026, House Oversight Committee hearing probing multibillion-dollar fraud in Minnesota’s social programs, which has been linked to Somali immigrants, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) aggressively questioned Democratic witness Brendan Ballou, a former DOJ prosecutor and Minnesotan.
Throughout the clip, Gill pressed Ballou on whether large-scale Somali immigration strengthens Minnesota, pointing to high welfare use and poor English proficiency. Absurdly, Ballou claimed Somalis make the state “certainly stronger,” objected to “native Minnesotan” terminology.
