MINNEAPOLIS: Police arrested a man who sprayed Democratic US Rep. Ilhan Omar with a foul-smelling liquid in Minneapolis on Tuesday as she condemned the actions of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota.
Omar, the frequent target of political insults from President Donald Trump, was unharmed.
A security guard immediately grabbed the man and took him to the ground, according to a Reuters witness and a video of the town hall event.
Police said they arrested the man for third-degree assault.
In his remarks, Omar criticized ICE and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and demanded that Noem resign following the recent killing of two American citizens in Minneapolis under Trump’s immigration enforcement.
“ICE cannot be reformed, it cannot be rehabilitated, we must abolish ICE forever and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment,” Omar said to applause.
Moments later, a man sitting in the front row stepped toward her and sprayed her with the contents of what police described as a syringe, telling Omar, “You need to step back.”
Omar defiantly took a few steps towards him, hand raised, before being silenced.
She continued her remarks after a short break, resisting calls from colleagues to seek medical attention, saying she just needed a tissue. Her office later issued a statement saying she was okay.
Medical examiners were collecting evidence at the scene, Minneapolis police said in a statement.
ONE Reuters Witness said the liquid smelled of ammonia and caused minor throat irritation.
“I learned at a young age that you don’t give in to threats,” Omar told the crowd, after refusing to suspend the event. “You look them in the face and you stand strong.”
Trump has repeatedly attacked Omar in public remarks and social media, including regarding her Somali nationality.
“Ilhan Omar is trash,” Trump said during a cabinet meeting in December. “She’s trash. Her friends are trash.”
Omar, 43, came to the United States as a 12-year-old girl and became an American citizen in 2000.
On Tuesday, the US Capitol Police said its threat assessment cases rose in 2025 for the third year in a row, up nearly 58% from 2024.
In 2025, it investigated 14,938 instances of statements, conduct and communications targeting members of Congress, their families, staff and the Capitol complex, it added, up from 9,474 in 2024.
