Timeline of Somali Immigration and Fraud in Minnesota 1991: Somali Civil War erupts after Siad Barre’s fall, displacing over 1 million. U.S. begins admitting Somalis under humanitarian refugee policies, facilitated by NGO’s. 1992–1993: First wave of ~5,000 Somali refugees resettled in Minnesota, attracted by generous welfare access. Clan based networks form in Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, known as “Little Mogadishu.” 1990s–2000s: MN Somali population grows to 70,000–80,000. Welfare dependency is high, with roughly 40% on benefits. Remittances to Somalia start, reaching ~$1.7 billion annually by 2023, exceeding Somalia’s government budget. Al-Shabaab emerges in 2006, taxing hawala, money transfer networks. 2007–2015: Minnesota leads...