Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) stated during an interview that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pulled over her son after he stopped at a Target store, requiring him to produce his passport ID before being released. “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 told WCCO.

Omar noted her son consistently carries his passport for such situations. She also reported that ICE previously entered a mosque where her son and others were praying but left without incident. “After that, I had to remind him just how worried I am because all of these areas they are talking about are areas where he could possibly find himself in and they are racially profiling—looking for young men who look Somali that they think are undocumented,” she said.

Omar highlighted a recent federal operation targeting undocumented Somali immigrants in the Twin Cities, which followed President Trump’s remarks criticizing Somalis and labeling her “garbage.” On Friday, Omar sent a formal letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials Kristi Noem and Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, condemning the actions as “blatant racial profiling” and “an egregious level of unnecessary force.”

In the letter, Omar demanded DHS release data on arrests during Operation Metro Surge, including how many U.S. citizens were detained, details about ICE surge preparations, public reporting mechanisms for rights violations, and the estimated taxpayer cost. She also requested an explanation for potential revocation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 750 Somali refugees.

Omar emphasized that Somalis have lived in the U.S. for nearly three decades under TPS, which was first granted in 1991 and extended 27 times to remain valid through March 17, 2026. “Somali TPS holders—some of whom have lived in the U.S. for almost three decades—have built lives here, starting businesses, raising families, and becoming important members of their communities,” she wrote.