Ilhan Omar squares off against feds, joins Minneapolis protesters after being kicked out of ICE facility

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Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) squared off against federal agents at an ICE facility in Minneapolis on Saturday, joining protesters after she was kicked out of the detention center.

The controversial Somali-born Omar, 43, and Congress members were turned away while attempting to gain entry into an ICE processing center at the Whipple Building in Minneapolis

Video circulating online showed Omar and Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) and Kelly Morrison (D-MN), flanked by activists and photographers, squaring off against masked military members holding massive rifles who formed a line at the entrance to the facility.
Representative Ilhan Omar speaking to reporters at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis.

Rep. Ilhan Omar squared off against federal agents at an ICE facility in Minneapolis, joining protesters after she was kicked out of the detention center, on January 10, 2026.AFP via Getty Images

Federal agents, including Border Patrol and other law enforcement, gathered in Minneapolis for increased immigration enforcement.

Federal agents stage at a front gate as Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Kelly Morrison, and Rep. Angie Craig attempt to enter the regional ICE headquarters at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on January 10, 2026Getty Images

Federal agents detaining a protester on the ground.

Federal agents tackle a protester to the ground before detaining him outside of the Whipple Federal Building, on January 8, 2026.

The trio were briefly allowed inside before being booted, Omar told The Star Tribune.

“Shortly after we were let in, two officials came in and said they received a message that we were no longer allowed to be in the building and that they were rescinding our invitation and denying any further access to the building,” she told the outlet.

“Members of Congress have a legal right and constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight where people are being detained,” Omar wrote on X after being turned away.

“The public deserves to know what is taking place in ICE facilities,” she concluded.
Nearly a dozen protesters had been arrested Thursday at the same facility.