US lawmaker Ilhan Omar sprayed with foul liquid
Ilhan Omar unharmed after man sprays foul liquid at Minneapolis event amid sharp criticism of immigration enforcement policies by officials
Minneapolis – (Web Desk) – Police in Minneapolis arrested a man on Tuesday after he sprayed Democratic US Representative Ilhan Omar with a foul-smelling liquid during a public event. Omar was speaking critically about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when the incident occurred. She was not injured.
According to a Reuters witness and video footage from the town hall, a security guard quickly intervened, restraining the man and forcing him to the ground. Police later confirmed the suspect was taken into custody and charged with third-degree assault.
During her remarks, Omar strongly condemned ICE and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, calling for Noem’s resignation following the recent shooting deaths of two US citizens in Minneapolis amid an immigration enforcement surge under President Donald Trump. Omar, who has frequently faced political attacks from Trump, said ICE should be abolished and warned that the DHS secretary must step down or face impeachment, drawing applause from the audience.
Moments later, a man seated in a front row stepped toward her and sprayed her with the contents of what police described as a syringe, telling Omar, “You must resign.”
Omar defiantly took a few steps toward him, with her hand raised, before he was subdued.
She continued her remarks after a short break, resisting associates’ urging to seek medical attention, saying she just needed a napkin. Her office later issued a statement saying she was OK.
Forensic scientists were gathering evidence at the scene, Minneapolis police said in a statement.
A Reuters witness said the liquid smelled of ammonia and caused minor throat irritation.
“I learned at a young age, you don’t give in to threats,” Omar told the audience, after refusing to suspend the event. “You look them in the face and you stand strong.”
Trump has repeatedly targeted Omar in public remarks and social media posts, also taking aim at her Somali nationality.
“Ilhan Omar is garbage,” Trump said during a cabinet meeting in December. “She’s garbage. Her friends are garbage.”
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Omar, 43, came to the United States as a 12-year-old girl and became a US citizen in 2000.
On Tuesday, US Capitol Police said its threat assessment cases rose in 2025 for the third year in a row, spiking nearly 58% from 2024.
In 2025, it investigated 14,938 instances of statements, behaviour, and communications directed against members of Congress, their families, staff, and the Capitol complex, it added, up from 9,474 in 2024.
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