Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), revealed this week that she is unemployed and resorting to selling her used clothing online months after being suspended from Barnard College for participating in a pro-Palestinian protest.
Hirsi, 21, posted an update on Instagram Tuesday, stating that “unemployment got her” and that she has started listing clothes for sale on Depop, a social e-commerce app. Her listings include Dr. Martens boots for $50, skirts for $15, and a cardigan for $16.31. She linked the post directly to her Depop profile, inviting followers to shop her wardrobe.
Notably absent from her sale items: the $250 Versace sunglasses that frequently appear in her social media selfies.
In April 2024, Hirsi confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that she was one of three students suspended by Barnard after helping organize a pro-Gaza demonstration on Columbia University’s campus. She identified herself as a member of Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a student-led campaign urging the university to divest from companies allegedly complicit in the war in Gaza.
Following her arrest during the protest, Hirsi claimed she had been left homeless and without food. Though initially suspended, Barnard later dropped its sanctions against student protesters, and Hirsi was allowed to graduate in May.
At the graduation ceremony, Hirsi made headlines by walking across the stage with a large Palestinian flag. She later wrote on Instagram that her graduation came “despite what Barnard, Columbia, and the internet wanted.”
Her mother, Rep. Ilhan Omar, celebrated the moment with a heartfelt statement, saying she was “overwhelmed with joy and gratitude” to watch her daughter receive her degree after a “righteous fight against Columbia University’s support of genocide.”
“It’s been an incredible four years of tremendous growth and challenges,” Omar wrote, praising her daughter for pushing through the pandemic, moving to New York City, and leading activist efforts on campus.
But post-graduation life appears to have been difficult for Hirsi. She remains unemployed, and it’s unclear whether her political activism has impacted her job prospects.
Multiple high-profile employers, including law firm Sullivan & Cromwell and energy giant ExxonMobil, previously stated they would not hire students involved in disruptive pro-Palestinian protests. Exxon CEO Darren Woods emphasized in 2024 that “harassment and intimidation” have no place in universities or in companies like his.
Hirsi’s future plans remain uncertain, but her social media activity suggests she continues to be outspoken about Palestinian rights and critical of institutional policies she views as unjust.
