The Trump administration has announced the creation of a new division within the Department of Justice aimed at combating fraud nationwide. According to the White House, this division will focus on enforcing laws against fraud that target federal government programs, federally funded benefits, businesses, nonprofits, and private citizens. The move comes amid criticism from rights advocates who argue that fraud probes have been used to target immigrants and political opponents, and question the administration's commitment to tackling fraud given previous pardons for those convicted of such offenses.

Recent actions by the administration include singling out Minnesota for alleged welfare fraud committed by immigrants, particularly the Somali community, which has drawn sharp criticism from local advocates. Additionally, the administration has frozen federal childcare and family assistance funds to several states, citing fraud concerns, prompting lawsuits from those states. The new division's assistant attorney general will oversee investigations and advise top Justice Department officials on significant fraud cases and related policy matters.