OAKLAND, Calif. — California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Feb. 11, 2026, issued a press release advising Californians on how to report hate crimes following a series of incidents involving vigilante journalists and childcare facilities in the state.
According to a report by the United Domestic Workers, a childcare workers union in California, there has been an uptick in harassment incidents against childcare workers in the state, especially against those with perceived Somali heritage.
Somali Americans have come under target by the Trump administration and various aligned groups after the publication of a video alleging wide-scale fraud in Minnesota’s childcare system by online vigilante Nick Shirley in December 2025. This was only weeks after the president called Somalis in the country “garbage” in a racist tirade at the White House.
Since Shirley’s video, vigilantes have taken action across the country looking to expose fraud in childcare systems. San Diego is home to the second-largest Somali community in the United States and, according to the United Domestic Workers’ report, was the center of harassment instances in the state.
Attorney General Bonta emphasized in the release that California citizens, prosecutors and law enforcement officers should remember the hate crime protections in California law and report incidents. A hate crime in California is any crime committed against someone because of their protected status, including perceived or actual citizenship status and country of origin.
In the release, Attorney General Bonta advised victims of hate crimes to contact law enforcement as soon as possible, collect evidence of the incident, including writing down the words said, graffiti left on property and witnesses, and to consult various pamphlets advising Californians of their civil rights.
He also provided guidance for district attorneys prosecuting hate crimes. These guides emphasize the enforcement of various civil rights laws in California that protect minority groups from hate incidents.
“Our childcare providers do critical work and are the backbone of what makes life possible for many working families. These internet vigilantes are harassing Californians and seeking to alienate folks from their neighbors and communities, right out of the Trumpian playbook,” said Attorney General Bonta in the release. “California has laws that prohibit this type of harassment. I encourage Californians and law enforcement agencies to know their rights and familiarize themselves with laws that protect folks. No one should be harassed at work.”
The press release emphasizes: “Crimes motivated by hate are not just attacks on individual innocent people — they are attacks on our communities and the entire State. It is the job of the California Department of Justice to see that the laws of the State are uniformly and adequately enforced.”
Attorney General Rob Bonta was nominated by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021 after former Attorney General Xavier Becerra resigned. Attorney General Bonta will be running for re-election in the 2026 California elections.
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Is it really a hate crime for the public to look into fraud that’s stealing taxpayer dollars? One would think the government would welcome this.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued hate crime guidance and resources after reports that internet vigilantes were harassing Somali-American childcare providers — including uninvited surveillance, intimidating visits to homes and workplaces, and other aggressive conduct targeted at people with a shared heritage.
The DOJ and the FBI are investigating the daycare fraud. We’ll have to wait to see how deep and widespread it goes. Until then stay tuned.
This isn’t about legitimate law enforcement efforts, this is about people acting as vigilantes and harassing people – often without cause.
One person’s vigilante is another person’s whistleblower. It’s also called investigative journalism.
You’re being ridiculous.