A far-right YouTuber, Nick Shirley, has sparked outrage after releasing a video claiming to have exposed fraud at Somali-owned day care centers in Minnesota. The video, which has garnered over 2 million views on YouTube, shows Shirley attempting to get information about the alleged fraud by posing as a parent looking for child care for his fictitious son.
Critics argue that Shirley's actions are part of a broader pattern of targeting Somali Americans and other minority groups with misinformation and xenophobic rhetoric. The video has been condemned by immigrant rights advocates, who say it reinforces damaging stereotypes and could lead to increased scrutiny and detention of Somali individuals in the state.
Federal agents have indeed increased their presence in Minnesota's Twin Cities, profiling and detaining individuals who appear to be Somali, including U.S. citizens. Trump and other right-wing figures have perpetuated false narratives about "Somalian gangs" roaming the streets, further exacerbating tensions.
Experts say that Shirley's video is just one example of how social media influencers are increasingly being used by politicians to spread misinformation and shape public opinion. The Minnesota day care centers highlighted in the video have previously been flagged as problematic by local authorities, but Shirley's video has added fuel to the fire.
"The very real-world consequence is that it's going to exacerbate the situation that we have in Minnesota right now," said Ana Pottratz Acosta, lead of the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic at the University of Minnesota Law School. "They're doing these visits at day care sites under the auspices of conducting a fraud investigation, but if they happen to see anyone who fits a profile, they might be arrested."
Shirley has a history of using his platform to target immigrants and minorities with conspiracy theories and misinformation. He has also been involved in other anti-immigrant initiatives, including participating in Trump's "Roundtable on Antifa" event.
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Critics argue that Shirley's actions are part of a broader pattern of targeting Somali Americans and other minority groups with misinformation and xenophobic rhetoric. The video has been condemned by immigrant rights advocates, who say it reinforces damaging stereotypes and could lead to increased scrutiny and detention of Somali individuals in the state.
Federal agents have indeed increased their presence in Minnesota's Twin Cities, profiling and detaining individuals who appear to be Somali, including U.S. citizens. Trump and other right-wing figures have perpetuated false narratives about "Somalian gangs" roaming the streets, further exacerbating tensions.
Experts say that Shirley's video is just one example of how social media influencers are increasingly being used by politicians to spread misinformation and shape public opinion. The Minnesota day care centers highlighted in the video have previously been flagged as problematic by local authorities, but Shirley's video has added fuel to the fire.
"The very real-world consequence is that it's going to exacerbate the situation that we have in Minnesota right now," said Ana Pottratz Acosta, lead of the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic at the University of Minnesota Law School. "They're doing these visits at day care sites under the auspices of conducting a fraud investigation, but if they happen to see anyone who fits a profile, they might be arrested."
Shirley has a history of using his platform to target immigrants and minorities with conspiracy theories and misinformation. He has also been involved in other anti-immigrant initiatives, including participating in Trump's "Roundtable on Antifa" event.
The Intercept is an independent news organization that relies on donations from readers like you to continue its reporting. Will you help us expand our coverage of issues like this in the coming year?
this dude Nick Shirley is literally the WORST 
! I cant even believe he thinks he can just dress up as a parent and try to scam some info out of these innocent day care centers. What's next, him going undercover as a teacher or something? 
! He needs to stop using his platform to spread misinformation and just focus on being a responsible adult (lol, like that's gonna happen). I'm so done with these far-right YouTubers who think they can just stir up drama and watch the chaos unfold 
.
. And if he can't do that, then maybe it's time for him to just disappear into obscurity 
? it's crazy how social media influencers are being used 2 spread misinformation. we need more fact-checking & critical thinking 
not more xenophobia!
and the worst part is that people are actually buying into this stuff - 2 million views on youtube?! it's crazy how misinformation can spread so fast online. and what's up with the government increasing their presence in minnesota, profiling ppl like that? it's like they're trying to create a whole new wave of "somali gang" hysteria... trump and other right-wingers have been spreading this stuff for years now, and it's getting out of control 
. I mean, I get why some people are upset, but can't we all just try to fact-check and think for ourselves? 
. It's not fair that they're using social media to spread hate and misinformation. And it's even worse when people like Trump start perpetuating these false narratives about "Somalian gangs" 
... but we also need to take responsibility as consumers of information to fact-check and question what we're being told 
. Let's try to be more critical and less gullible, you know? 
and it's no surprise he's getting backlash for spreading false info about somali day care centers... can't believe people are still falling for his antics 
. and what's even more disturbing is that some ppl are actually buying into the narrative that somali americans are "taking over" or something 
. like, come on folks, get real 
. and btw, why do we need to have these influencers spreading misinformation in the first place? can't we just rely on actual journalism for once 
Somali-American families with their lives. It's like he's trying to fuel the fire of hate and xenophobia in our communities 
And what's even crazier is that it's happening in Minnesota where ppl are already being profiled & detained 
It's not cool, Nick. You're basically preying on people's fears and worries 
And what's the damage? People getting hurt, families torn apart 
We need ppl like Shirley called out for this kinda behavior ASAP 
Let's make sure we're supporting orgs that do the real work of exposing truth & fighting for justice 
it's like he's trying to get a good laugh at the expense of innocent people.