Ilhan Omar, Minn. Dems Booted From ICE Headquarters-llllll
A demonstration at federal immigration headquarters in Minneapolis turned into a political spectacle Saturday after Minnesota Reps. Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig, and Kelly Morrison were denied entry and escorted out of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, which houses the regional ICE office and immigration court.
The lawmakers arrived unannounced, telling reporters they intended to conduct “oversight” amid heightened scrutiny of immigration enforcement following a fatal ICE-involved shooting earlier in the week.
Video posted online showed security personnel blocking the congresswomen from entering the ICE processing center. They were later permitted a brief walk-through of the lobby but then ordered to leave after officials said they lacked authorization to access secure areas.
“I was just denied access to the ICE processing center at the Whipple Building,” Omar wrote on X. “Members of Congress have a legal right and constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight where people are being detained. The public deserves to know what is taking place in ICE facilities.”
KMSP-TV confirmed the lawmakers were escorted from the premises.
Rep. Angie Craig later told MSNOW, “We were told because this facility is being funded by the Big Beautiful Bill, not the congressional appropriations act, that we would not be allowed to enter the facility. That’s complete nonsense. I informed them they were violating the law. They said they didn’t care.”
Rep. Kelly Morrison said the same rationale was given, citing the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, which funds federal enforcement sites directly under executive control.
Administration officials defended the decision, saying the members were not part of an authorized oversight review. “Oversight must follow the law,” a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said. “These members were not on any approved review team, and the facility was under operational security status at the time.”
The confrontation came just days after Minneapolis drew national attention when an activist was fatally shot by an ICE agent. The incident fueled protests and tensions throughout the city.
Hours later, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) escalated scrutiny on Omar, saying she remains “at the top of the suspect list” in Minnesota’s expanding welfare fraud scandals.
Comer told journalist Alison Steinberg that formal ethics complaints against Omar are expected, adding that “any member of Congress that’s getting money unethically or illegally” should be investigated by the bipartisan Ethics Committee.
“Anybody that has information on a member of Congress, bring that to the Ethics Committee, and they’ll investigate it,” Comer said. “We need to hold them accountable.”
The controversy follows revelations from Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who said Omar secured a $1 million earmark for a supposed substance abuse clinic “housed inside a restaurant and run by three individuals who share the same residential address.” The earmark has since been stripped from the spending bill.
Comer also highlighted financial questions surrounding Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, whose firm Rose Lake Capital saw its valuation rise from under $1,000 in 2023 to between $5 million and $25 million in 2024. The firm recently removed names of prominent Democratic figures from its website.
“Minnesota has become the epicenter of one of the largest taxpayer thefts in U.S. history,” Comer said. “We’re going to find out who was involved, who looked the other way, and who got rich off it.”
Between being kicked out of an ICE facility and facing ethics scrutiny in Congress, Omar now finds herself under mounting pressure — both at home and in Washington.
Rep. Ilhan Omar Intensifies Criticism of Federal Immigration Enforcement
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota sharply escalated her criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations on Monday, accusing federal agents of treating Minneapolis as an occupying force and again calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s resignation or impeachment.
In remarks to constituents in Minneapolis, Omar repeatedly described the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal officers in the city as an inappropriate use of government authority, saying the situation has created fear among local residents. Omar said Minneapolis is “currently under occupation” and cited concerns about schools, hospitals and daily life as evidence of what she called harmful federal intervention.
“We do not exaggerate when we say we have schools where two-thirds of the students are afraid to go to school,” Omar said. “We do not exaggerate when we say we have people who are afraid to go to the hospital because our hospitals have occupying paramilitary forces.”
Omar referenced two recent fatalities during federal immigration operations in Minneapolis — the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good — and argued those incidents underscored the need for new leadership at DHS. In her remarks, she blamed senior White House advisers for shaping the administration’s immigration policies.
“When we say it is time for Kristi Noem to go, we mean it now,” Omar added. “And there needs to be accountability for the architect of the terror we are facing in Minneapolis and so many other cities, which is Stephen Miller.”
Omar’s comments follow an appearance on MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes, where she reiterated those positions and broadened her critique to include senior administration officials. In that interview, she said Noem should resign or face impeachment, echoing earlier statements from House Democratic leadership. Omar also repeated criticism of Miller, a senior White House adviser on immigration policy, calling him a “copycat of the Nazis” and suggesting he should be prosecuted.
Her remarks also tied national Republican rhetoric on immigration to broader social tensions, asserting that aggressive enforcement language has “created anger” that can lead to confrontations with Somali immigrants and other community members in Minnesota.
Omar’s public criticism comes amid the ongoing federal immigration operation known as Operation Metro Surge. Federal agents have been deployed to Minneapolis to apprehend illegal immigrants with criminal convictions, drawing protests and heightened scrutiny from local officials and advocacy groups.
Democratic lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), have called for increased oversight of DHS and ICE policies as part of broader negotiations over long-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Jeffries has publicly stated that Noem should be impeached if she does not resign, and Schumer has called for additional conditions on immigration enforcement in appropriations legislation.
In response to increased political pressure, DHS has taken steps to increase transparency in its operations. Earlier this week, Secretary Kristi Noem announced that body-worn cameras will be issued to all federal immigration enforcement officers deployed in Minneapolis as an immediate measure, with plans to expand the program nationwide as funding becomes available. “Effective immediately we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis,” Noem wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Federal officials have said that some Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers present during the Jan. 24 shooting of Pretti were already equipped with body cameras, though full footage has not been released. Officials have not yet clarified whether ICE officers were wearing cameras during the earlier fatal encounter involving Good.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz responded to Noem’s announcement by saying body cameras should have been in place prior to the deaths of Pretti and Good, who were tragically killed while interfering with ICE law enforcement operations.
20 Minutes ago in Arizona, Savannah Guthrie was confirmed as… See more
Just 20 minutes ago in Arizona, Savannah Guthrie was confirmed as the focus of a rapidly developing update that has already begun to ripple across newsrooms and social media.
While early headlines sparked confusion and speculation, sources close to the situation emphasized that the confirmation centers on a professional development rather than the alarming rumors that briefly circulated online.
The speed at which the news broke—paired with Guthrie’s high public profile—helped fuel the immediate surge of attention, with viewers eager for clarity and context.
According to initial reports, the confirmation came during a tightly scheduled appearance in Arizona, where Guthrie has been involved in ongoing media commitments.
Attendees described a composed and focused presence, noting that the announcement was handled with care and precision. Industry insiders say the timing underscores how quickly information now travels, especially when it involves trusted faces in broadcast journalism.
Within minutes, clips, quotes, and partial summaries began trending, amplifying both interest and misunderstanding.
What stands out most is the response from colleagues and longtime viewers. Messages of support and curiosity poured in, reflecting the connection Guthrie has built over years of consistent reporting and calm authority during major national moments.
Analysts suggest that the public reaction speaks less to the announcement itself and more to the trust audiences place in familiar voices—when news breaks about them, it feels personal. That trust has kept the conversation largely measured, even as speculation continues.
As details continue to emerge, media observers caution against jumping to conclusions based on incomplete information. Full context is expected to be clarified through official channels shortly, and until then, reputable sources urge patience.
One thing is clear: when news involves a figure as recognizable as Savannah Guthrie, even a brief confirmation can command national attention in minutes. Stay tuned as this story develops and the full picture comes into focus.
