Ilhan Omar sprayed with unknown liquid at Minneapolis town hall; assault suspect arrested
At a north Minneapolis town hall on ICE operations, Rep. Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unknown liquid delivered via a syringe; police arrested a man on suspicion of assault and a forensic team is testing the substance. Omar appeared unhurt, resumed speaking after being checked, and the spraying was a separate incident from an earlier man who rushed the stage but was stopped by security.
đ Key Facts
- At a north Minneapolis town hall, a man approached Rep. Ilhan Omar and sprayed an unknown liquid on her; FOX 9 reported the liquid was delivered via a syringe.
- Police took the man into custody and arrested him on suspicion of assault; as of Wednesday morning he had not yet been formally charged.
- A forensic team is actively testing the unknown liquid, which has not been publicly identified.
- Omar appeared uninjured after being checked and resumed the event.
- The spraying incident was distinct from an earlier episode at the same town hall in which a different man rushed the stage but was stopped by security and attendees before reaching Omar.
- After the attack, Omar continued speaking, called for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to resign and raised the possibility of impeachment, and later posted a statement saying she would not be intimidated.
đ Relevant Data
Nearly half of likely undocumented immigrant adults say they have avoided seeking medical care since January 2025 due to immigration-related fears associated with ICE operations.
Health Care Providers Warn of Impacts of Increased ICE Presence at Health Care Facilities â KFF
ICE has made over 3,000 arrests during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota as of January 19, 2026, focusing on criminal illegal aliens.
The undocumented immigrant population in Minnesota is estimated at 130,000 as of 2023, representing about 2.2% of the state population.
Mapped: Minnesota's growing unauthorized immigrant population â Axios
Somali Minnesotans generate at least $500 million in income annually and pay about $67 million in state and local taxes.
Somali Minnesotans drive economic growth, pay $67M taxes annually â KSTP
Venezuelan migration to the US has surged since 2010, with the population growing 318 percent between 2010 and 2023, driven by economic collapse and political instability in Venezuela.
Venezuelan Immigrants in the United States â Migration Policy Institute
đ° Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- FOX 9 specifies that Omar was sprayed with an unknown liquid delivered via syringe, not just a generic 'substance.'
- Police have arrested the man on suspicion of assault and a forensic team is actively testing the liquid; as of Wednesday morning he has not yet been formally charged.
- Omar resumed speaking after the attack, used the event to call for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to resign and raised the possibility of impeachment, then posted a public statement saying she would not be intimidated.
- The Minnesota Reformer report provides additional detail that a man rushed at Rep. Ilhan Omar during the north Minneapolis town hall; Omar appeared unhurt and the incident ended quickly.
- The article clarifies that the rushing incident was a separate act from the earlier spraying and physical altercation already reported.
- It reinforces that security and attendees were able to stop the man before he could reach Omar, underscoring both ongoing security concerns and the fact that no injuries were reported.
- Police say a man approached Rep. Ilhan Omar at a Minneapolis town hall and sprayed an unknown substance on her before being taken into custody.
- The substance has not yet been publicly identified; Omar appeared uninjured and continued the event after being checked.
- The spraying incident is now confirmed as distinct from the earlier episode in which a different man rushed the stage but was stopped by security.