Calls to Abolish ICE and Pause Evictions Grow After Omar Assault and Federal Surge
Federal and state lawmakers are escalating calls to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement and enact a statewide eviction moratorium as immigration enforcement intensifies in Minnesota. The demands follow an assault on Rep. Ilhan Omar, criminal charges against protesters, and growing fear in immigrant communities.
Protests planned at the Whipple Federal Building as Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks out following an assault at a Minneapolis town hall and federal immigration enforcement intensifies across Minnesota.
Federal lawmakers and Minnesota officials are escalating calls to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement and enact a statewide eviction moratorium as immigration enforcement actions intensify and community fear deepens across the Twin Cities.
The calls come amid a surge in federal activity, criminal charges filed against protesters, and an assault on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a recent town hall meeting in Minneapolis.
Assault at Town Hall and Federal Investigation
Omar addressed reporters Wednesday at Karmel Mall, where business owners say sales and foot traffic have sharply declined following the federal enforcement surge. She described the attack that occurred during a Tuesday town hall, where a man sprayed her with a substance later identified as apple cider vinegar.
“The man that attacked me was specifically upset that Trump’s order to deport Somalis was not yielding enough deportations of Somalis,” Omar said. “So he wanted to come get the person he thought was protecting the Somalis. Well, we are protected by the Constitution.”
Minneapolis police identified the suspect as Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, who was arrested and charged with third-degree assault. Police said the FBI has taken over the investigation.
Trump Responds With Baseless Claim
When asked about the attack, President Donald Trump suggested, without evidence, that the incident may have been staged.
“No. I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud,” Trump said. “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”
Hours before the assault, Trump had singled out Omar during a speech in Iowa, criticizing her Somali heritage. Omar responded directly to those remarks.
“He said, ‘I don’t think about her.’ Does he not remember?” Omar said. “Is he suffering from dementia?”
She pointed to a long-standing pattern of threats tied to Trump’s rhetoric.
“I became a freshman who nobody should actually know existed,” Omar said. “Because I yielded no power, I had the most death threats of any member of Congress. I had to have six Capitol Police officers providing 24-hour detail.”
Protests Planned at Whipple Federal Building
State Rep. Aisha Gomez called for a protest at 8 a.m. Friday at the Whipple Federal Building, following the Trump administration’s announcement of criminal charges against at least a dozen protesters and legal observers accused of interfering with federal immigration enforcement.
“I invite all Minnesotans on Friday at 8 a.m. to join community leaders, clergy, and those of us standing up to this incursion,” Gomez said. “If you want to take these 22, you have to come and take the other tens of thousands of us who are mobilized in this moment.”
Calls for Eviction Moratorium Grow
State Sen. Omar Fateh and Minneapolis City Council Member Aisha Chughtai joined Gomez in urging Gov. Tim Walz to enact a pause on evictions as immigrant families face an increasingly impossible choice.
“What we’re calling for our congressional members and our leaders to do is, number one, do not fund the DHS bill, to impeach Kristi Noem, to abolish ICE, and for the governor to enact a moratorium,” Fateh said.
Chughtai described widespread organizing efforts already underway.
“Hundreds and hundreds of you are stepping up,” she said. “You’re getting trained, and you’re showing up every day to make sure that not one more family gets taken from us. The choice in front of them is whether they’re going to lose their life or they’re going to lose their home.”
She warned other cities to prepare for similar federal actions.
“They may be coming to your city next,” Chughtai said. “Get organized, get to know your neighbors, figure out how you are going to keep families together.”
Omar Calls ICE Beyond Reform
Omar said the agency responsible for recent deportation raids, arrests, and fatal encounters, including the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, cannot be reformed.
“Everyone here understands that voting no on the DHS funding bill is the bare minimum,” Omar said. “Backing the resolution to impeach Kristi Noem is the bare minimum. Holding law-breaking ICE agents legally accountable is the bare minimum. We must abolish ICE.”
Pressley Describes a Changed Community
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts contrasted the current atmosphere at Karmel Mall with a previous visit.
“The last time I was here, we broke bread together amongst bustling shoppers,” Pressley said. “It was vibrant. We laughed over sambusas and drank Somali tea together. Today is quiet.”
She closed with a blunt assessment.
“Donald Trump is a dictator,” Pressley said.