The Department of Homeland Security fired back sharply at Rep. Ilhan Omar on Tuesday, accusing the Minnesota Democrat of lying about an alleged encounter between Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and her son during a recent enforcement operation.
In a statement posted on its official X account, DHS said there is “absolutely ZERO record” of ICE officers or agents pulling over Omar’s son. The department called Omar’s claim “shameful” and said it was made “with no evidence” in an effort to “demonize ICE as part of a PR stunt.”
DHS, which is led by Secretary Kristi Noem, also forcefully rejected Omar’s allegation that ICE is racially profiling Somali Americans. “Allegations that ICE engages in ‘racial profiling’ are disgusting, reckless and categorically FALSE,” the department wrote. DHS emphasized that immigration enforcement is based on legal status, not race or ethnicity. “What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the U.S.—NOT their skin color, race, or ethnicity,” the statement continued.
The department also cited constitutional standards, noting that under the Fourth Amendment, DHS law enforcement uses “reasonable suspicion” when making arrests.
The response followed comments Omar made during an interview with WCCO, a CBS affiliate in Minneapolis, on Sunday. In that interview, Omar claimed her son had been stopped by ICE agents and suggested the encounter was part of a pattern of racial profiling targeting Somalis and others “they think are undocumented.”
Omar said her son had seen ICE agents enter his mosque the previous Friday, though no one was detained. She then alleged that the following day, while her son was returning home from a Target store, ICE agents pulled him over. According to Omar, her son was released only after producing his passport. “And once he was able to produce his passport I.D., they let him go,” she said.
DHS flatly denied that account, saying there is no record of such an incident involving ICE.
Omar’s claims came in the wake of controversial remarks from President Donald Trump, who recently said he did not want more Somalis like Omar — whom he described as “garbage” and a “terrible person” — entering the United States. “They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country, I’ll be honest with you,” Trump said. “Some will say that is not ‘politically correct.’ I don’t care. Their country is no good for a reason.”
The president’s comments followed a New York Times report detailing a massive fraud scheme involving some Somalis living in Minnesota. Federal prosecutors alleged the scheme stole “more than $1 billion in taxpayers’ money,” further fueling scrutiny and debate.
Omar has repeatedly responded to Trump’s remarks, including labeling him a “national embarrassment.” She has also continued to criticize ICE operations in her state, despite DHS’s insistence that her claims are false and unsupported.
The dispute underscores the ongoing clash between the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and progressive lawmakers who accuse federal agencies of discrimination. DHS officials, for their part, say the accusations undermine law enforcement officers carrying out their duties under the law and mislead the public about how immigration enforcement actually works.
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