Tag: falsehoods

“The Minnesota Star Tribune also visited all 10 facilities, and found children inside four of them when invited inside. Six other facilities were either closed or employees did not open their doors.

…

Osman said the doors are always locked for safety, and the staff was on high alert following the president’s threats to deport Somali people and escalation of federal immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities.

He said Shirley’s unannounced drop-in was “not intended to be a sincere approach.””

…

Director Ahmed Hasan said they’ve had similar visits from other “content creators,” but the others didn’t have enough followers to create the kind of chaos that Shirley did.

Hasan said Shirley, a man identified as “David” and a third man came to the front door while five more men waited in a van and car, some of them wearing masks.

Hasan said there were children inside, but they weren’t about to let strangers inside, given the recent immigration crackdown. They thought the masked men in the vehicles might be ICE agents.

Hasan said Shirley left soon after Hasan arrived, entering through a back door.

On Dec. 30, Hasan invited the Star Tribune and other media outlets into the facility, where about 30 children of varying ages were visible.

…

A woman from a neighboring home health care agency showed the Star Tribune video footage of children coming and going on Dec. 16.

Kevin Brown, who lives two blocks away and owns a business next door to ABC Learning Center, said he often sees kids at the center.

He saw Shirley’s video and came over to the daycare Dec. 30 when he saw TV cameras there.

“I don’t like the idea of people coming from out of town, coming into our neighborhood and making assumptions without talking to people and getting the facts,” he said. “That’s the definition of fake news.”

…

Part-owner Umi Hassan said she lived here right after 9/11 and didn’t feel as marginalized and fearful as she does today. She’s unable to sleep at night and carries her passport everywhere.

Tears running down her face, she asked, “What else can I do to be an American?””

https://www.startribune.com/day-care-fraud-minnesota-video/601554760