ICE Denies Claims by Rep. Ilhan Omar Regarding Son’s Encounter
The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has dismissed claims made by Rep. Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, suggesting that her son was asked to verify his U.S. citizenship by agents after a visit to a Target store over the weekend.
Omar mentioned in an interview with a local CBS affiliate that her son experienced a situation akin to a traffic stop involving ICE agents on Saturday but was released without problems once he provided a U.S. passport or passport card.
In response, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons refuted these allegations, stating to FOX News Digital that the event never occurred.
“ICE has no record of any officers or agents engaging with Rep. Omar’s son,” Lyons said, adding, “It’s remarkable that she would make such an accusation without any evidence.”
He labeled Omar’s comments as a “ridiculous effort” to portray federal law enforcement in a negative light, noting that her statements have led to a significant increase in threats against ICE personnel, with assaults up by 1,150% and death threats by 8,000%.
Omar, who is a mother of three, asserted that her son was out conducting business when the alleged ICE interaction occurred.
Her press secretary, Jacquelyn Rogers, affirmed Omar’s account to FOX News Digital, stating that the children of congressional members were unjustly stopped by ICE and forced to establish their citizenship with passports.
Rogers further criticized ICE as a “corrupt agency beyond reform,” expressing skepticism regarding the agency’s record-keeping and inviting an examination of their documentation regarding these stops.
Omar also reacted to President Donald Trump’s derogatory remarks, referring to her as “trash,” amidst a burgeoning fraud investigation linked to the Somali community in Minnesota. “It’s quite unsettling that the president would focus so obsessively on you and your people,” she remarked.
Additionally, she rejected Trump’s allegations made during a rally in Pennsylvania, which suggested that she married her brother to facilitate her U.S. citizenship. “It’s well-known that I arrived in the United States at age 12 and secured citizenship at 17,” Omar clarified.
To provide context, Omar’s marriage history includes a religious union in 2002 with Ahmed Abdisaran Hirsi, separation, a later marriage to British national Ahmed Nur Saeed Elmi in 2009, and subsequent marriages and separations until her current marriage to Timothy Mynett.
Omar also critiqued the Trump administration’s stance towards the Somali community in light of the fraud scandal, stating, “In the U.S., we don’t hold entire communities accountable for the actions of individuals. We as Minnesotans are appalled that our taxpayer money may have been defrauded,” and expressed her support for investigations into potential misuse of Minnesota funds in connection to the al-Shabab terrorist organization.
