A woman from Minneapolis, who was reportedly severely injured by ICE, was taken out of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address and arrested after interrupting the speech, according to various news reports.
Aliya Rahman, the woman in question, was escorted from the gallery on Tuesday night after she shouted out during Trump’s comments about fraud allegations in Minnesota. His remarks focused on the Somali-American community, a subject fuelled by fraud allegations, which has led to a bipartisan back-and-forth.
Capitol Police stated that Rahman, a U.S. citizen and guest of Rep. Ilhan Omar, was removed and later arrested for unlawful conduct and disrupting Congress during the address, as reported by Newsweek. The police noted that she broke the rules against demonstrations in the House chamber during the speech.
Omar invited Rahman to attend the State of the Union, and before the speech, Omar’s office released a statement saying that Rahman had faced issues related to ICE enforcement actions in Minneapolis and attended to share her experience with those policies. Several other guests from Minnesota, also affected by the immigration crackdown, were present.
Earlier this year, Rahman gained national attention after ICE officers violently pulled her from her vehicle in Minneapolis during an enforcement operation, an encounter that was widely shared online. She told reporters that she sustained injuries during the incident and emphasized what she considered excessive force by federal agents.
Worst police state on earth. Disabled woman Aliya Rahman tells of arbitrary abuse, in broad daylight, by federal ICE agents. pic.twitter.com/jT2yKxkRhM
— tim anderson (@timand2037) February 14, 2026
Rahman was removed just as Trump returned to a recurring theme of his second term: alleged fraud linked to immigration in Minnesota. During his speech, Trump claimed, without providing evidence, that the Somali-American community was involved in schemes that drained taxpayer dollars, language that drew criticism from Democrats and praise from the GOP.
Minnesota Democratic lawmakers, including Omar and others from the state, attended the address despite their differences with Trump’s policies. Omar mentioned at a news conference before the speech that guests like Rahman demonstrate the real consequences of federal enforcement actions and stressed the importance of sharing these stories on a national level.
Capitol Police did not provide more details about Rahman’s arrest, including specific charges or whether she spent the night in custody or was released. It is rare for a guest to be removed during the State of the Union, highlighting tensions in the chamber as the president delivered a speech that elicited strong reactions from lawmakers on both sides.
In a press release, Omar’s office said Rahman was calling for ICE to “face legal accountability for their aggression against civilians.”
Rahman reportedly spent several hours in jail following what she describes as an aggressive arrest by Capitol Police and added that she silently protested Trump during his SOTU speech.
“There are only two things you can do at the State of the Union, and they are sit down and stand up,” said Rahman, before adding: “I was arrested for standing up.”
Rahman’s attendance at the address and her removal drew renewed attention to her experience with immigration enforcement and political discourse that have unfolded on the national stage in recent months.
