Meanwhile, Omar announced that she has launched two formal congressional inquiries into recent immigration enforcement actions by the Trump administration affecting Somali communities in Minnesota and nationwide.
In a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Omar requested information about Operation Metro Surge, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployment in the Twin Cities area. Omar alleged that the operation has involved racial profiling, the detention of U.S. citizens, the use of excessive force, and violations of constitutional rights.
Omar’s letter cited reported incidents in which individuals who said they were U.S. citizens were detained by ICE agents, a woman wearing a hijab was mocked, pepper spray was used on bystanders, and agents carried out arrests near homes, schools, and a university campus without presenting warrants.
The New York Times reported that roughly 100 ICE agents were deployed to Minnesota as part of the operation.
In a separate letter to Noem, Omar, and several other members of Congress, also sought an explanation for the administration’s consideration of ending Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals living in the United States.
