A video of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, celebrating with a Somali flag and donning an “I Love Somalia” shirt has reemerged amid widespread welfare fraud scandals tied to the Somali community in his city and state.

The footage captures Frey joining the Somali community in Minneapolis during the 65th Somali Independence Day event held in June. His participation underscores his efforts to foster a strong connection with the Somali residents there.

Frey has actively sought to strengthen ties with Minneapolis’s Somali population, which numbers around 80,000 in the Twin Cities and represents a significant and expanding voter demographic in the city.

Despite his outreach efforts, Frey secured re-election in November by only a ten-point margin. He faced significant losses in precincts with a substantial Somali presence, particularly against state Representative Omar Fateh.

Following the election, Frey stirred controversy by attempting to deliver a portion of his victory speech in Somali, a move that drew mixed reactions.

After the election, Frey courted controversy by attempting to deliver some of his victory speech in the Somali language.

But in his efforts to reach out to the Somali community, Frey has also crossed paths with some Somalians involved in the many cases of welfare fraud perpetrated in Dem. Gov. Tim Walz’s Minnesota.