Minneapolis (Somalia Today) — A man was arrested Tuesday after charging at US Representative Ilhan Omar and spraying her with a foul-smelling liquid during a volatile town hall in Minneapolis, as the city grapples with civil unrest over federal immigration enforcement.
The assault occurred as the Democratic lawmaker, a frequent critic of the White House, stood at a lectern condemning the Department of Homeland Security and calling for the impeachment of Secretary Kristi Noem.
Video footage showed a man in a black jacket surging toward the stage and using a syringe to spray a stream of brown liquid at Omar.
A security staffer immediately tackled the suspect, pinning his arms behind his back as audience members cheered the intervention.
Minneapolis police said officers at the scene arrested the man for third-degree assault.
While Omar escaped injury, witnesses reported a “strong, vinegarlike smell” filling the room. Forensic scientists responded to process the scene and identify the substance.
Omar appeared flustered but refused to end the event early. After a brief recess, she returned to the microphone and told constituents, “We will continue.”
“I’m ok,” she later wrote on social media platform X. “I’m a survivor, so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work.”
Escalating tensions
The attack unfolds against a backdrop of escalating violence in Minnesota, which has become a flashpoint for “Operation Metro Surge,” a controversial federal immigration enforcement initiative.
Tensions in Minneapolis reached a breaking point earlier this month following the deaths of two US citizens involving federal agents.
Federal agents fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, in her vehicle on January 7. Gunfire killed Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, on January 24 during a protest.
Omar was addressing these tragedies — declaring that “ICE cannot be reformed” and “must be abolished for good” — when the assailant struck.
The man reportedly shouted “You must resign” as he lunged, echoing rhetoric used recently by President Donald Trump.
Hours before the attack, Trump had singled out the congresswoman during a speech in Iowa.
He told supporters that immigrants must “show that they can love our country” and “be proud, not like Ilhan Omar.”
Rising threats
The incident is the latest in a sharp rise in threats directed at US officials.
On Tuesday, the US Capitol Police released data showing that “concerning statements and behaviors” targeting members of Congress surged to 14,938 cases in 2025, a nearly 60 percent increase from the previous year.
An assault on Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost highlighted this hostile climate recently, when an individual punched the lawmaker in the face in Utah, citing the administration’s deportation agenda.
Officials from across the political spectrum condemned Tuesday’s violence.
Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina said she was “deeply disturbed” by the news.
“Regardless of how vehemently I disagree with her rhetoric — and I do — no elected official should face physical attacks,” Mace said.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also denounced the attack, stating that violence had “no place” in the city.
