US Muslim Lawmaker Ilhan Omar Sprayed with Liquid by Assailant at Minneapolis Town Hall
The attack occurred while the congresswoman was addressing the audience and calling for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Omar was not injured, and an unnamed man was arrested and charged with third-degree assault following the brief attack, according to Reuters.
Authorities did not disclose further information about the liquid used in the incident.
During the event, Omar was speaking from the podium while calling for the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and the resignation of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem.
“Ice cannot be reformed. It cannot be rehabilitated; we must abolish ICE for good. And DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment,” Omar said seconds before the attack.
According to video footage, a man rushed toward the podium and sprayed Omar with a syringe containing a dark-colored liquid.
The attacker can be heard saying, “You must resign,” as he carried out the act.
Security officers immediately tackled the man to the ground as audience members reacted with shock and applause.
A member of the audience can be heard saying, “Oh my God, he sprayed something on her,” as others gasped nearby.
Addressing the crowd moments later, Omar said she was “good” despite concerns raised by attendees that the substance smelled “terrible” and that she should seek medical attention.
Returning to the podium, she told supporters, “Here’s the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand: We are Minnesota strong, and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.”
Shortly after the meeting ended, Omar wrote on X: “I’m OK. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.”
In reaction to the incident, political leaders across parties condemned the attack.
“Unacceptable. Violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis. We can disagree without putting people at risk,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said on X.
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South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace also denounced the assault.
“I am deeply disturbed to learn that Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at a town hall today. Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric – and I do – no elected official should face physical attacks. This is not who we are,” Mace wrote on X.
Beyond the immediate incident, Omar has frequently been a target of criticism from US conservatives over her opposition to the Israeli regime’s war on Gaza and her progressive positions on immigration reform.
She is also a vocal opponent of Operation Metro Surge, an ICE crackdown launched in December to arrest undocumented immigrants in Minneapolis.
Related confrontations between federal immigration agents and city residents have resulted in the deaths of two US citizens this month, including 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday.
Omar has also been criticized by President Donald Trump, who last month called her “garbage” and said he would investigate her finances over an alleged corruption scandal involving members of the Somali-American community.
By way of background, Omar made history in 2018 as one of the first two Muslim women elected to the US Congress.
She was elected to a third term in 2024, representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis and surrounding areas.
She also serves as deputy chair of the House Progressive Caucus, a group of about 100 lawmakers advocating policies such as immigration reform, universal healthcare and debt-free university education.
Source: Agencies
