MINNEAPOLIS — Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota said federal immigration agents pulled over her son over the weekend and asked him to prove his citizenship, an incident she says reflects racial profiling during a recent surge in immigration enforcement targeting Somali communities in the Twin Cities.
“Yesterday, after he made a stop at Target, he did get pulled over by [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents, and once he was able to produce his passport ID, they did let him go,” Omar said in an interview with Esme Murphy on WCCO Sunday Morning.
Omar said her son, who was born in the United States, routinely carries proof of citizenship.
“My son always carries his passport with him,” she said.
Immigration Enforcement Surge in Minnesota
The congresswoman said the traffic stop occurred amid increased federal immigration activity in Minnesota. Earlier this month, federal agents surged into the Twin Cities with the stated goal of targeting undocumented Somali immigrants.
Omar also said ICE agents previously entered a mosque where her son and others were praying, though they left without incident.
She said she is concerned that federal enforcement efforts are targeting people based on appearance rather than evidence.
“They are racially profiling, they are looking for young men who look Somali that they think are undocumented,” Omar said.
The enforcement surge followed remarks by President Donald Trump, who said he does not “want them in our country” when referring to Somali immigrants and called Omar herself “garbage.”
On Friday, Omar sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, accusing federal agents of “blatant racial profiling” and “an egregious level of unnecessary force” in the Twin Cities.
“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 in the letter.
Somali Americans and Citizenship in Minnesota
WCCO reported it has reached out to ICE for comment regarding the traffic stop involving Omar’s son.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the United States, with approximately 107,000 Somali residents. More than 80,000 live in the Twin Cities metro area.
Omar has said that more than 90% of Somali Americans are U.S. citizens, citing data from the American Community Survey, which estimates that about 8.4% of Somalis nationwide are not citizens.
Omar was born in Somalia, came to the United States as a child, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000. All three of her children were born in the United States.
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