Rep. Ilhan Omar says ICE stopped her son during Minnesota immigration surge
Rep. Ilhan Omar says her son was pulled over by federal immigration agents in Minnesota and asked to prove his citizenship before being released. The incident occurs as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) increases its enforcement efforts in the Twin Cities, amidst a crackdown by the Trump administration that has faced accusations of racial profiling.
Omar: ICE stopped my son, asked for proof of citizenship
Speaking Sunday on WCCO’s “Sunday Morning,” the Minnesota Democrat said her son was pulled over by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after making a stop at a Target store.
“Once he was able to produce his passport ID, they did let him go,” Omar told host Esme Murphy, adding that her son always carries his passport with him.
WCCO said it has reached out to ICE for comment.
Omar also described a separate recent incident in which ICE agents entered a mosque where her son and others were praying but left without making arrests. She said the experience has heightened her fears as enforcement activity intensifies in neighborhoods with large Somali populations.
“They are racially profiling, they are looking for young men who look Somali that they think are undocumented,” Omar said.
Immigration surge in the Twin Cities
The stop comes during a broader federal operation in Minnesota that ICE says is aimed at arresting undocumented immigrants with serious criminal histories. The surge has focused in part on the Twin Cities, home to the largest Somali population in the United States.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, roughly 107,000 Somalis live in Minnesota, with more than 80,000 in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area. Omar has cited census survey data indicating that more than 90% of Somalis in the U.S. are citizens.
Omar herself was born in Somalia, came to the U.S. as a child and became a U.S. citizen in 2000.
This story is featured in today’s Unbiased Updates. Watch the full episode here.
Accusations of racial profiling
On Friday, Omar sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons accusing federal agents of “blatant racial profiling” and “an egregious level of unnecessary force” during the Minnesota enforcement surge.
“It is clear to me that this surge came in direct response to Trump’s racist comments about Somali people and about me in particular,” Omar wrote.
The letter followed public comments from President Donald Trump targeting Somali immigrants and Omar by name, language that Omar has repeatedly said is fueling fear within her community.
Earlier this month, Omar said the president appears “obsessed” with her, a comment she made while warning that his rhetoric is having real-world consequences for Somali Americans.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
