Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Details ICE Stop of Her U.S. Citizen Son at Target Store
Monday, 15 December 2025 – By Theodore Bunker
Representative Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., reported that federal immigration agents stopped her son over the weekend while he was shopping at a Target store in Minnesota.
According to Omar, her son—a U.S. citizen—was pulled over by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Saturday after leaving the store. He produced his U.S. passport and was released without incident.
Omar said she is concerned that the recent surge in ICE activity in Minnesota, known as Operation Metro Surge, targets “young men who look Somali” that federal agents believe are undocumented immigrants.
She recounted an earlier incident where ICE agents entered a mosque while her son was praying but left without detaining anyone.
The Trump administration has significantly increased immigration enforcement operations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area under Operation Metro Surge, with additional ICE agents deployed to target undocumented individuals within Somali and Latino communities. Minnesota, which hosts the nation’s largest Somali population, has become a focal point for federal efforts.
Local activists have reported multiple arrests of residents who later identified themselves as U.S. citizens.
In a recent letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, Omar described the enforcement push as exhibiting “blatant racial profiling” and an “egregious level of unnecessary force.” The complaint cited detentions of U.S. citizens who presented valid documentation proving their lawful presence.
Omar has also initiated two formal congressional inquiries into the administration’s Minnesota enforcement operation, seeking details on how ICE agents conduct sweeps and whether civil rights violations have occurred. The letters were cosigned by several Democratic lawmakers.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, expressed similar concerns, stating that Omar’s son “was following the law” during his encounter with federal agents.
While the Trump administration has defended its immigration efforts in Minnesota as necessary for enforcing federal law, no official response to Omar’s specific claims about her son was immediately available.
Omar, who is one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, has faced criticism from President Donald Trump over his recent rhetoric targeting Somali immigrants and calling for stricter enforcement against undocumented residents. Critics argue such statements fuel fear and mistrust within immigrant communities.
Minneapolis Somali community leaders and civil rights advocates have rallied against the federal operation, warning that it undermines trust among lawful residents and risks unjust detentions.
