Rep. Ilhan Omar compared U.S. immigration enforcement in Minnesota to the conditions she fled, telling a Democratic hearing on Friday that she never expected to see similar actions in the United States.
“I don’t want to curse, but for those of us who escaped places like that, the one place where we thought we would never experience this is the U.S. god—- states,” Omar said at the hearing, titled “Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Deadly Assault on Minnesota,” according to video and transcripts shared by organizers and reported by Fox News.
Omar, a Minnesota Democrat born in Somalia and representing much of Minneapolis, made her comments as Democratic lawmakers gathered testimony about federal immigration operations in the Twin Cities area. The event was co-hosted by Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, the leading Democrat on the House immigration subcommittee, and included members of Congress from several states, according to Jayapal’s office.
“And we should all be ashamed that it is the United States allowing this to happen, and it is being broadcast to the rest of the world, where people are calling and saying, ‘Are you sure this is America?’ I am ashamed, and we must do everything we can to bring back the America we all escaped into,” Omar said.
Fox News reported that Omar’s comments targeted what Democrats described as aggressive tactics by federal agents during immigration enforcement and related operations in Minnesota. Organizers of the hearing stated it was called in response to reports of unlawful actions and to demand accountability in the death of Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer earlier this month.
Good, 37, was fatally shot on January 7 during a confrontation with an ICE officer in Minneapolis. This incident sparked protests and political fallout in Minnesota and beyond. The Justice Department announced this weekend it would not open a federal investigation into the shooting, a decision that drew criticism from some local officials and civil rights advocates.
The DOJ’s position came as protests continued in Minneapolis and as federal officials defended their operations and use-of-force policies. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated federal officers are conducting enforcement actions under President Donald Trump’s direction and blamed violence on protesters and local leaders.
At Friday’s hearing, Omar and other Democrats argued that residents have been stopped or questioned without proper justification, creating fear among immigrant communities and U.S. citizens. In a written transcript of her opening remarks posted by her office, Omar called this moment unprecedented and urged Congress to address what she described as violations of civil liberties.
Republicans and conservative commentators criticized Omar’s language and her comparison of U.S. enforcement to conditions in Somalia, claiming she was attacking law enforcement and the country she represents. Fox News highlighted the profanity in Omar’s remarks and noted the hearing represented Democrats’ opposition to Trump’s immigration policy.
The hearing in St. Paul was not an official committee meeting, but Jayapal’s office described it as an oversight effort focused on federal operations in Minnesota. Lawmakers listened to testimony from residents and advocates about enforcement actions occurring on the ground.
Omar concluded her comments with a call to action, telling the audience she believes Americans should resist what she described as a loss of rights and urging lawmakers to restore trust in government institutions.
