EXCLUSIVE: HUD launches civil rights probe into Minneapolis over race-based housing priorities

By Fox News · Fox News

EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) opened an investigation into the city of Minneapolis Thursday, alleging the city’s housing policies illegally prioritize resources based on race and national origin, Fox News Digital learned. "Minnesota has been ground zero for fraud and corruption because it plays a cynical game of racial and ethnic politics," HUD Secretary Scott Turner told Fox News Digital. "This goes against our values as Americans, united by a common heritage, language, and commitment to equal treatment under law." Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig Trainor sent a letter to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Thursday evening informing him that HUD had launched a probe into whether Minneapolis violated the Fair Housing Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act through its housing plans, programs and internal equity directives. The Fair Housing Act is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or familial status. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race or national origin in any program or activity that receives federal funding. SEC SCOTT BESSENT: HOW TO STOP FRAUD IN MINNESOTA—AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY Minnesota has become the focal point of government fraud, as details emerged regarding an alleged sweeping COVID-era scheme involving money laundering and tied to multiple social-services programs. Nearly 100 people, most of whom are from Minnesota's Somali community, have been charged, while federal prosecutors estimated that the total amount of fraud across various state-administered social services programs could reach more than $9 billion. Considering the alleged fraud involved taxpayer dollars, HUD officials said evidence suggests that racial politics also extended to Minneapolis’s housing policy. The letter argues that Minneapolis has "committed to making available and allocating housing…