Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar said her 20-year-old son was stopped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents over the weekend and asked to prove his citizenship, an incident she described as deeply troubling and frightening for her family.
Speaking in an interview with WCCO, a CBS affiliate in Minneapolis, Omar explained that her son was pulled over by ICE agents after stopping at a Target store. According to Omar, the agents released him only after he showed his U.S. passport. She said the encounter reflects growing concerns within Minnesota’s Somali community, which has been heavily targeted by federal immigration enforcement in recent weeks.
Omar, who was born in Somalia and came to the United States as a refugee in the 1990s, said she has been living in fear for her son’s safety since ICE intensified operations in the Twin Cities area earlier this month. Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, and many residents say the increased presence of immigration agents has created widespread anxiety.
Local officials and community members have reported that ICE agents have detained several U.S. citizens during the operation, known as “Metro Surge.” Video footage circulating online appears to show aggressive stops and questioning, leading many residents to carry passports or other proof of citizenship at all times. Some people have even limited their movement outside their homes out of fear of being stopped.
Omar said her son now always carries his passport with him, a precaution she never imagined would be necessary for a U.S. citizen. She described repeatedly calling him on the day of the incident to make sure he was safe, growing more worried when he did not answer right away. When she finally reached him later that evening, she said she had to explain just how concerned she had been throughout the day.
The stop occurred just one day after Omar announced that she had launched two formal inquiries into what she called the Trump administration’s escalating attacks on Somali communities in Minnesota and across the country. In a letter sent on December 12 to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, Omar raised serious concerns about racial profiling, the use of unnecessary force, and enforcement actions that appear designed more for public display than effective law enforcement.
In her letter, Omar asked federal officials to explain how many arrests were made using proper judicial warrants, how the public can report potential violations of constitutional rights, and how ICE is ensuring due process while deploying a large number of officers in the area.
Omar also said ICE agents had entered a local mosque where her son prays just days earlier, though no arrests were made at that time. She said she watched videos throughout that day showing ICE activity in the same neighborhood, adding to her fear and uncertainty.
The congresswoman’s concerns come amid a surge of hostile and xenophobic remarks targeting Somali immigrants, many of them made by President Donald Trump himself. Trump has repeatedly attacked Omar, both during his first term and more recently, using derogatory language toward her and toward Somali people as a whole. At public events and rallies, he has mocked her background and called for her removal, remarks that have drawn condemnation from civil rights advocates.
Omar said these words and policies have real consequences, fueling fear and hostility toward Somali Americans, including those who are citizens by law. She emphasized that no family should have to worry about their child being stopped and questioned simply because of how they look or where they come from.
