The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are disputing Rep. Ilhan Omar’s claim that her son was pulled over by federal immigration agents in Minnesota and required to show proof of citizenship, escalating a public clash over enforcement tactics during a heightened immigration operation in the Twin Cities. (CBS News)
What Omar said happened
In a televised interview on WCCO’s “Sunday Morning,” Omar said her son was stopped after a visit to Target and released only after presenting a passport. She also said ICE agents had earlier entered a mosque where her son and others were praying but left without incident. (CBS News)
Omar framed the incident as part of a broader pattern of profiling, saying agents were “looking for young men who look Somali” who they believe are undocumented. (CBS News)
DHS and ICE: “Zero record” of any stop
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons rejected Omar’s account, saying the agency has “absolutely ZERO record” that ICE officers or agents pulled over her son. (CBS News)
Lyons also criticized Omar’s allegations of racial profiling as “disgusting, reckless and categorically false,” arguing that immigration enforcement actions are based on immigration status rather than race or ethnicity and that officers rely on “reasonable suspicion” consistent with the Fourth Amendment. (Newsweek)
In the same email response reported by Newsweek, Lyons said Omar’s claim was made “with absolutely zero proof” and warned that demonizing agents contributes to threats and assaults against officers. (Newsweek)
Omar’s office stands by her account
When CBS Minnesota asked about the denial, a spokesperson for Omar’s office said the congresswoman stands by her statement and criticized ICE recordkeeping, adding the office would welcome the chance to review any relevant documentation. (CBS News)
Broader context: “Operation Metro Surge” and heightened scrutiny
The dispute comes amid intensified ICE activity in Minnesota tied to what federal officials have described as a surge operation in the Minneapolis area. Newsweek reported that DHS has said ICE arrested hundreds of people during the effort, describing those arrested as serious offenders. (Newsweek)
Omar has argued the enforcement surge is being carried out in a way that unfairly targets Somali communities in the Twin Cities, and she has linked the timing to inflammatory rhetoric directed at Somalis and at her personally. (CBS News)
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, concentrated heavily in the Twin Cities metro area. (CBS News)
What’s not publicly resolved
As of the latest reporting, Omar’s claim and ICE’s denial remain in direct conflict, with ICE asserting it has no record of a stop and Omar maintaining it occurred. (CBS News)
No independent documentation of the stop—such as body-camera footage, incident logs, or vehicle identifiers—has been made public in the reporting reviewed here, and neither side has released additional evidence beyond statements. (CBS News)
