Trump Calls for Imprisonment of Rep. Ilhan Omar After ICE Clashes

President Donald Trump called for the imprisonment or deportation of Representative Ilhan Omar in a series of Truth Social posts on January 18, 2026. Trump alleged that Omar is linked to a fraud involving more than $18 billion in the state of Minnesota and suggested she be sent back to Somalia to "MAKE SOMALIA GREAT AGAIN!"

The dispute intensified after Omar spoke at a Democratic field hearing in St. Paul on January 17, where she condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. She likened federal immigration practices to those in Somalia and referred to the country as the "U.S. goddamn States." Omar specifically cited the January 7 death of Renee Good, who was killed by an ICE agent in Minnesota, an incident the administration defended as self-defense.

In response to Omar's remarks, the White House rapid response account described her comments as "appalling, disgusting, and SICK." Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee, led by James Comer, issued a subpoena for records from Omar's husband to investigate a sudden increase in the couple's net worth.

The political clash coincides with a legal battle in Minneapolis, where Minnesota has sued to stop the deployment of approximately 3,000 ICE officers. Trump criticized the state's resistance to the surge, while Omar dismissed the president's attacks as bigoted lies. The Department of Homeland Security reported that assaults on ICE agents have increased by more than 1,100 percent over the past year.