Clips of people knocking on the doors of day care centers purportedly run by Somali immigrants are being viewed millions of times online. Critics call it harassment.

A social media frenzy that began in Minnesota over allegations of day care fraud has rippled into at least seven other states over the past week, as conservative journalists and right-wing influencers have embraced the idea that they should investigate state-subsidized child care centers, especially those run by local people of Somali descent.

In the days since Christmas, conservative content creators have been showing up at day care centers from Ohio to Washington state, recording videos of themselves trying to interview employees and expressing suspicion over whether the centers are legitimate businesses. Like Minnesota, Ohio and Washington also have significant Somali populations.

Many of the people making the videos are affiliated with small conservative websites or have ties to political groups. The clips have been posted to X, where some have racked up millions of views and praise from viewers, with help from a network of prominent right-wing influencers on the platform who share and reuse the content.