Ilhan Omar Says Son Was Targeted By ICE In a Traffic Stop: ‘Had To Remind Him How Worried I Am’

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) told WCCO in Minneapolis on Sunday that her concerns were realized last week when her son was targeted by ICE during a traffic stop.

Morning host Esme Murphy began, “I read that there was a raid on a restaurant and a young man was arrested, and it’s a restaurant that your 20-year-old son frequents, and you got very concerned. Tell us about that, because the fear comes home for mothers, whether their members of Congress or not.”

“It was last Friday and, you know, typically, my son goes to Friday prayers with his friends and then they all go and eat at their favorite restaurant in Cedar-Riverside,” Omar said. “And I knew ICE agents were in Cedar. And, so, I kept…calling my son to see if he was okay, if he had any run ins with them, and he wasn’t answering.”

Omar said she finally had a chance to catch up with her son later that night.

“I 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.”

Her son said that ICE agents did come into the mosque where he was praying, but “they didn’t do anything” and eventually left.

“And then, yes, he did see them at the restaurant. They just walked around and kind of left. But yesterday, after he made a stop at Target, he did get pulled over by ICE agents,” Omar continued. “And once he was able to produce his passport I.D. they let him go.”

Omar said her son always carries his passport with him in case he has to prove his citizenship, which is American.

President Donald Trump has ruthlessly attacked Omar on Truth Social when ranting about Somalis in Minnesota. Recently, Trump called Omar “garbage” and “a terrible person.”

“She shouldn’t be allowed to be a congresswoman, and I’m sure people are looking at that. And she should be thrown the hell out of our country,” Trump said.

Watch the clip above via WCCO Minneapolis.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!