Far-left “Squad” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is once again at the center of controversy—this time for rhetoric that critics say dangerously inflames tensions and encourages hostility toward federal immigration officers in the aftermath of two separate shootings involving ICE agents.
The incidents, one in Portland and another in Minneapolis, have been seized upon by the radical left to push an anti-law-enforcement narrative, even as key facts complicate the story. In Portland, two individuals allegedly affiliated with the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua reportedly attacked a federal immigration agent and were subsequently shot. In Minneapolis, Renee Good was shot and killed after allegedly attempting to run over an ICE agent with her vehicle—an incident that quickly became a media flashpoint.
Rather than urge calm or allow investigations to run their course, Omar poured gasoline on the fire.
Just days after the Minneapolis shooting, video surfaced of Omar riding in the back of a pickup truck during a protest, leading demonstrators through the streets while chanting about making ICE “pay.” The footage spread rapidly online, drawing outrage from conservatives who saw it as reckless and irresponsible behavior from a sitting member of Congress.
In the clip, Omar can be heard shouting, “We are going to show all of them the door out. And we are going to make sure that these people pay for what they have done to us!” She followed that up with, “We are committed to this resistance!”—language critics argue sounds far less like peaceful protest and far more like a call to confrontation.
Omar didn’t stop there. She took to X to accuse ICE directly of murder, writing, “ICE’s Operation Metro Surge has resulted in the murder of Renee Nicole Good. It’s unjustifiable.” She demanded “transparency and accountability,” insisting state and local authorities be involved—despite the fact that the incident involved a federal officer acting in the line of duty.
In another post, Omar shared a clip of herself on CBS, again declaring that ICE “murdered” Good and accusing President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem of “spreading conspiracies.” “We saw it happen with our own eyes,” she claimed, asserting definitively that Good “should be alive,” while omitting allegations that Good attempted to use her vehicle as a weapon.
During an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Omar escalated further, accusing ICE of “state-sanctioned violence” and claiming agents are “terrorizing” communities across Minnesota—broad-brush accusations that many say demonize law enforcement and endanger officers on the ground.
The backlash was swift. Conservative commentator Benny Johnson shared the protest video, writing, “Ilhan Omar is now on the ground with left-wing protestors in Minneapolis… encouraging violence against ICE.”
Others went further. Rogan O’Handley, known online as DC Draino, accused Omar of inciting violence and referenced longstanding questions surrounding her immigration paperwork—claims former ICE Director Tom Homan has suggested could warrant investigation. “Enough is enough,” O’Handley wrote. “Expel her from Congress.”
At a time when ICE agents are facing real threats from criminal gangs and violent extremists, critics argue Omar’s rhetoric is not just irresponsible—it’s dangerous. While law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to enforce immigration laws passed by Congress, one of Congress’s own members appears content to smear, vilify, and politically weaponize tragedy.
For many Americans, the episode underscores a growing divide: between those who believe in law and order, and those who seem willing to undermine it for ideological gain.
