Ilhan Omar’s Daughter Claims She’s ‘Basically’ Homeless After Columbia Suspension Over Pro-Palestinian Encampment, Recalls Hours-Long Detainment
Screenshot via Fox News
Isra Hirsi, daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) claimed she’s basically “homeless” after being suspended from school over a pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University.
Hirsi was seen being detained by police last week for her involvement in the encampment. She announced that Barnard College, one of multiple undergraduate schools under Columbia University,” suspended her. Barnard told Mediaite they could not comment on “confidential student conduct proceedings,” but pointed to a statement noting students were given multiple warnings about the protest.
Hirsi spoke with Teen Vogue about her experience and claimed she fears homelessness as she awaits a hearing with the school.
“I was a little bit frantic, like, where am I going to sleep? Where am I gonna go? And also all of my shit is thrown in a random lot. It’s pretty horrible,” she said.
The 21-year-old added, “I have like four shirts, two pairs of pants. I don’t know when I can go home, and I don’t know if I ever will be able to.”
The young activist also complained about receiving meals from the school, saying there was “no food support.”
“I sent them an email like, ‘Hey, I rely on campus for my meals, I rely on my dining plan,’ and they were like, ‘Oh, you can come pick up a prepackaged bag of food,’ a full 48 hours after I was suspended,” Hirsi said.
Hirsi recalled being zip-tied for seven hours as police detained dozens of protesters.
“I was zip-tied for about seven hours and wasn’t released for about eight,” the activist said.
Hirsi said students are awaiting dates on school hearings.
“Genuinely we have no clue. Our interim suspension is contingent on what happens at our hearings, which has not been set. They told us that we would receive a date by Monday at noon, so I’m basically at least houseless until then,” Hirsi told Teen Vogue.
She accused Barnard of taking a “very egregious” stand in suspending students.
Omar previously said in an X post that she’s “proud” of her daughter’s activism.
“I am enormously proud of my daughter [Isra]. She has always led with courage and compassion, from organizing a statewide school walk out on the 20th anniversary of Columbine at the age of 15, to leading the biggest youth climate rally at our nation’s Capitol at 16, and now pushing her school to stand against genocide, Omar wrote. “Stepping up to change what you can’t tolerate is why we as a country have the right to speech, assembly, and petition enshrined in our constitution.”
Fellow “Squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) suggested after Hirsi’s suspension that it was retaliation following a tense exchange between Omar and Columbia University President Minouche Shafik over anti-semitism on college campuses during a House hearing.
