Ilhan Omar Under Fire After Comments on Laken Riley, ICE Agents

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is facing a storm of criticism after making inflammatory remarks about immigration enforcement and the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, reigniting calls for her censure in Congress.

During a recent public appearance, Omar stumbled when asked about the Laken Riley Act—legislation named for the 22-year-old University of Georgia nursing student murdered by an illegal immigrant. Instead of honoring Riley’s memory, Omar misremembered her name and accused the bill of existing “for ICE detention centers to make money.”

Supporters of the bill pushed back immediately, stressing that its purpose is the opposite: to ensure that illegal aliens charged with serious crimes are held in custody instead of released, as was the case with Riley’s killer.

Omar doubled down on her longstanding hostility toward Immigration and Customs Enforcement, repeating her claim that “nothing is too entrenched to be abolished” — even as ICE agents continue working without pay due to the ongoing government shutdown. The funding standoff has been fueled in part by Democrats’ push to include taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants in spending negotiations, a demand flatly rejected by congressional Republicans and President Donald J. Trump.

Her comments on Charlie Kirk’s assassination also drew sharp rebuke. In a sit-down with Don Lemon, Omar said, “it was a tragedy that Charlie Kirk was killed in that way” and offered brief condolences to his family — but then dismissed his life’s work, saying, “there is no legacy to honor. It was a legacy filled with bigotry, hatred, and White supremacy.”

To many, Omar’s tone amounted to spitting on the grave of one of the most influential young conservative voices of his generation. Critics argue her rhetoric is consistent with a long pattern of disdain for law enforcement, traditional values, and her political opponents.

This is not Omar’s first brush with potential discipline. Earlier this year, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) led an effort to censure Omar for her statements about Kirk, but the measure was narrowly tabled after four Republicans sided with Democrats.

The Minnesota Democrat has also stood firmly against the Laken Riley Act, voting “no” alongside fellow Democrats Betty McCollum and Kelly Morrison. The legislation passed the House with bipartisan support, requiring ICE to detain illegal immigrants who commit theft-related crimes and empowering states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for damages tied to illegal immigration. Even Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) broke with her party to back the bill, joining 47 Democrats who supported it.

The controversy comes amid troubling revelations in Omar’s home state. Federal authorities disclosed that nearly half of Somali immigrants in the greater Minneapolis area were found to have committed some form of immigration fraud during a September enforcement sweep — including sham marriages and falsified documents. That backdrop has intensified criticism of Omar’s stance, particularly given long-running questions about her own immigration history and family ties. Conservative watchdogs have filed repeated complaints citing discrepancies in her marital and tax records, including allegations — which she denies — that she once married her brother to obtain immigration benefits.

As the Senate gears up for a contentious debate over immigration reform, Omar’s latest remarks have once again placed her squarely in the national spotlight. To critics, she represents a radical wing of the Democratic Party that undermines border security, disrespects conservative voices, and pushes policies that endanger American citizens. To her defenders, she is a fearless progressive unafraid to defy convention.

Either way, Omar remains one of the most divisive and controversial figures in Congress — and her latest comments ensure that status is unlikely to change anytime soon.