Rep. Brandon Gill raised concerns about Somali immigration and welfare participation during a recent hearing focused on Minnesota fraud, arguing that high rates of public assistance use raise questions about the broader impact of mass immigration.

Gill described an exchange with a witness during the hearing, saying the discussion centered on whether large-scale Somali immigration benefits the American people.

"Does mass Somali immigration benefit the American people? And the witness, who is a leftist, of course, said, Yes, of course, they do. They bring all kinds of cultural diversity, blah, blah, blah. So I just asked them, Do you know how many Somalis, Somali immigrants in the United States are on welfare? And we were thinking specifically of Minnesota, because that was the point of this hearing was Minnesota fraud," Gill said.

According to Gill, the data discussed at the hearing showed a high percentage of Somali immigrants in Minnesota receiving public assistance.

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"It turns out that 82% of Somali immigrants in Minnesota are on welfare, using welfare. And what's most astounding is I ask them, Do you know what percentage of Somali immigrants in Minnesota are on welfare even after being in the United States for 10 years? So you could say, okay, they came into the United States. They needed to get on their feet. I don't buy that argument, to be clear, but maybe somebody could say that, well, 78% of Somali immigrants, again, even after being in the US for 10 years, are on welfare. I mean, that is astounding," Gill said.

The hearing focused on fraud issues in Minnesota and included discussion of immigration patterns and public assistance programs.

Gill framed his questions around long-term dependency and whether immigrants are becoming self-sufficient over time.

"In other words, they're not living the American dream. They're not self sufficient. They're here because you can get free stuff, and that's a problem for the American people, because we're the ones who are paying for this now," Gill said.

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Minnesota has one of the largest Somali immigrant populations in the United States, with many settling in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area.

The state has also been the subject of federal and state investigations into fraud cases in recent years, including cases tied to public assistance programs.

Gill’s remarks centered on the financial impact of welfare usage and whether long-term reliance on public assistance aligns with traditional expectations of economic self-sufficiency among immigrants.

The data cited by Gill during the hearing prompted discussion about the role of public assistance programs, the length of time immigrants remain enrolled, and the broader economic implications for taxpayers.

He emphasized that the 78% figure applies to Somali immigrants in Minnesota who have been in the United States for 10 years.

Gill said the issue is not limited to initial resettlement assistance but concerns extended reliance on government benefits.

His comments came during a broader debate over immigration policy, welfare reform, and oversight of state and federal assistance programs.

The Minnesota fraud hearing provided a forum for lawmakers to question witnesses about the effectiveness of oversight and the fiscal impact of immigration-related assistance programs.

Gill’s remarks focused on what he characterized as long-term welfare participation among Somali immigrants in Minnesota and whether that participation supports or undermines claims that mass immigration provides broad benefits to the country.

The discussion adds to ongoing national debates over immigration levels, state-level resettlement patterns, and the fiscal costs associated with public assistance programs.

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