It all happened after a minute of silence observed at the start of the public meeting organized by Ilhan Omar. A man dressed in a black jacket threw a substance at the MP before being overpowered by the public and pinned to the ground. The elected official was not injured and continued her intervention.
She previously called for the abolition of the federal ICE agency and the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. She also reiterated her opposition to an immigration bill: We cannot continue to act as if nothing had happened. This is why I led the entire progressive congressional caucus to oppose this text. We have taken an official position and secured the agreement of all Democratic senators to hold ICE accountable. "
President Donald Trump sharply criticized Ilhan Omar during the day during a speech in Clive, Iowa: They must show that they love our country. They should be proud of it, not like Ilhan Omar. She comes from a country that is a disaster... It's not even really a country. "
The incident takes place in a context of tensions around ICE methods. The same day, an officer attempted to enter the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis, but staff prevented the intrusion and protected the nationals present. The Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry sent an official protest to the US Embassy in Quito and demanded that this not happen again.
These events follow several controversial ICE interventions in Minnesota this month, two of which cost the lives of American citizens.
