The family eventually settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota—home to the largest Somali-American population in the country.
Omar became a U.S. citizen at age 17 and quickly became active in her community, working as a community nutrition educator and policy advocate.
Rise in Minnesota Politics
Before her election to Congress, Omar made headlines by becoming the first Somali-American elected to a U.S. state legislature when she won a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016. Representing District 60B, she championed progressive policies around affordable housing, criminal justice reform, and immigrant rights.
Ilhan Omar has become one of the most recognizable and influential figures in American politics, not only as a U.S. Representative but as a symbol of shifting demographics and political power in the United States. Born in Somalia, raised in a Kenyan refugee camp, and elected to Congress in 2018 from Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, Omar’s story is one of resilience, advocacy, and historic firsts.
Early Life and Immigration Journey
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar was born on October 4, 1982, in Mogadishu, Somalia. Fleeing the civil war in the early 1990s, her family spent four years in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya before immigrating to the United States in 1995.
Her political rise was closely aligned with Minnesota’s growing and increasingly organized East African immigrant communities, particularly in Minneapolis’s Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
Historic Congressional Win
In 2018, Ilhan Omar was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, replacing fellow progressive Keith Ellison. She became:
- One of the first two Muslim women ever elected to Congress (alongside Rashida Tlaib of Michigan),
- The first Somali-American member of Congress,
- The first woman of color to represent Minnesota in the U.S. House.
Omar represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs. The district is considered one of the most progressive in the nation.
Policy Focus and Legislative Work
In Congress, Omar has been a vocal advocate for progressive issues, including:
- Immigration reform: Calling for humane border policies and an end to family separation.
- Foreign policy reform: Advocating for a reduced U.S. military presence abroad and greater emphasis on diplomacy and human rights.
- Economic justice: Supporting Medicare for All, student debt cancellation, and a Green New Deal.
- Criminal justice: Proposing federal legislation to end cash bail, reduce incarceration, and demilitarize police forces.
She currently serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Education and the Workforce Committee.
She was also a founding member of the “Squad,” a group of young, progressive Democratic representatives including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib.
