Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has publicly disclosed that her adult son was stopped and questioned by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota, an incident she has condemned as racial profiling.
Details of the Traffic Stop and Allegations
The event took place on Monday 15 December 2025. According to Omar, her 20-year-old son was pulled over by ICE officers and asked to provide identification. He was subsequently released after showing his US passport.
Omar did not hold back in her criticism, directly accusing the immigration authorities of "racially profiling" residents of Minnesota. She linked the stop to the broader "Trump administration's immigration crackdown," suggesting a pattern of behaviour. The Congresswoman also revealed that agents had previously entered a mosque where her son was praying.
Operation Metro Surge and Official Denials
This personal incident occurred against the backdrop of "Operation Metro Surge," a targeted enforcement action by ICE. The operation has reportedly led to over 400 arrests across the state of Minnesota.
However, an official spokesperson for ICE has pushed back against specific targeting claims. The spokesperson explicitly denied that Somali immigrants were the focus of the enforcement surge, countering the implication central to Omar's accusations.
Political Fallout and Escalating Rhetoric
In response to her son's detention, Ilhan Omar took formal action, sending a letter to the directors of Homeland Security and ICE. In the letter, she alleged the use of "egregious levels of unnecessary force" during the operations.
Omar further contended that "Operation Metro Surge" was a direct reaction to what she called former President Donald Trump's "racist comments about Somali people." The political feud between the two figures has intensified significantly. Trump has recently escalated his verbal attacks on the Congresswoman, while Omar has branded him a "national embarrassment." She accuses him of employing bigoted rhetoric to divert public attention from an uncertain economic climate.
The situation highlights the deeply polarised debate surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States, with personal stories becoming focal points in a wider national conflict.
