Ilhan Omar

A federal magistrate judge has ordered Anthony James Kazmierczak, 56, held in custody pending trial on charges he squirted Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., with a syringe of apple cider vinegar during a Jan. 27, 2026 town hall in Minneapolis. Magistrate Judge David Schultz’s Monday detention order calls the alleged assault 'exceedingly serious and dangerous' and finds by clear and convincing evidence that no set of release conditions would reasonably assure community safety. Omar was speaking about immigration policy, calling for legal action against ICE and criticizing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, when Kazmierczak allegedly approached from the crowd and sprayed her with the liquid; he later allegedly admitted to police that he did so. Prosecutors have charged him with one felony count of terroristic threats and one count of fifth-degree assault, and his court-appointed lawyer says he is being held in solitary confinement and has raised concerns about his mental health. Court records show prior DWI convictions in 2009 and 2010, but no comparable violent offenses, and the case is drawing attention online as part of a broader pattern of physical and verbal attacks on high-profile members of Congress.