Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., accused Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday of pushing “lies and propaganda” about recent ICE activity in Minnesota, escalating a public clash between the congresswoman and the Department of Homeland Security.
Omar’s response came after Noem posted on X that federal officials have “arrested over 10,000 criminal illegal aliens” tied to violence and other crimes, including what she described as “3,000 criminal illegal aliens” arrested over the past six weeks. Noem’s post included a stream of photos she said showed people detained during the crackdown.
Omar rejected the framing, arguing that the images were being used to inflate the impact of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
“This would be amazing if it wasn’t full of lies and propaganda,” Omar wrote. “The only reason she has photos of these criminals in prison is because they were already in prison. Stop terrorizing people with your fake PR about criminals in Minneapolis because the only people on the streets of Minneapolis you are arresting are law abiding citizens.”
DHS responded directly in a separate X post, disputing Omar’s characterization of the photos and accusing her of siding with criminals.
“These photos were taken — either directly following operations — or inside the Whipple Federal Building in St. Paul Minnesota during processing following their arrests by federal agents,” DHS wrote. “You know, the building your violent mob riots outside of every night in support of these criminals.”
Omar, who was born in Somalia and represents a district that includes much of Minneapolis, has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, including the deployment of ICE agents amid investigations and enforcement actions tied to illegal immigration and fraud in Minnesota.
Tensions have also intensified in the wake of the killing of Renee Good, which critics cite as a flash point while alleging ICE agents are using aggressive tactics intended to intimidate residents.
Minneapolis and St. Paul are already hosting about 3,000 federal agents deployed to the area after a major fraud scandal rocked the state late last year. President Donald Trump has floated invoking the Insurrection Act in response to unrest, though he appeared to back away from the idea on Friday.
