Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar recently shared that her adult son was stopped by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis and asked to prove his U.S. citizenship, reigniting debate over immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities.​

Omar said her son was pulled over by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after leaving a Target store in Minnesota on Saturday. 

During a sit-down interview with WCCO, she recounted that agents asked him for proof of citizenship, and he was released after showing his U.S. passport. Omar emphasized that her son is a U.S. citizen and always carries his passport with him.​

While the incident didn’t escalate, Omar said, "I had to remind [my son] just how worried I am, because all of these areas that they are talking about are areas where he could possibly find himself in, and they are racially profiling, they are looking for young men who look Somali that they think are undocumented."

The news comes during a wave of immigration backlash actions in Minneapolis and St. Paul, which are home to the largest Somali community in the U.S. 

Omar said ICE agents had also recently entered a mosque where her son was praying, though no arrests were made there. She described feeling deep anxiety as agents targeted neighborhoods her son frequents. 

Although they "didn't do anything," Omar said she "had to remind him just how worried I am, because all of these areas that they are talking about are areas where he could possibly find himself in, and they are racially profiling, they are looking for young men who look Somali that they think are undocumented."

Civil rights advocates and local leaders have echoed concerns that such tactics disproportionately impact Black and immigrant communities, especially when agents question people about citizenship during routine stops. The incident has drawn national attention as lawmakers and activists debate the balance between immigration enforcement and community trust.

“Here in the United States, we don’t blame the crimes of an individual on a whole community,” Omar said to WCCO. “We are, as Minnesotans, also outraged, the fact that our tax dollars were defrauded.”

She continued, “Here in the United States, we don’t blame the crimes of an individual on a whole community.”