U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), who represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, referred to the United States as the “god—- states” during remarks delivered Friday at a Democratic field hearing in St. Paul, Minnesota, criticizing federal immigration enforcement operations in the state.
The comments were made during a hearing titled “Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Deadly Assault on Minnesota,” where Omar condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforcement activity and compared federal actions to authoritarian regimes she said she fled as a refugee.
Ilhan Omar refers to the U.S. as “the US goddamn States”
Absolutely disgusting.
Denaturalize and deportpic.twitter.com/bf7yYFi0TM
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 18, 2026
“I do not want to curse, but those of us who escaped places like that, the one place where we thought we would never experience this is the U.S. god—- states,” Omar said during the hearing.
Omar added that she was “ashamed” of what she described as federal actions being “broadcast to the rest of the world,” saying people had contacted her asking whether such conduct was truly taking place in America.
Video of the remarks circulated widely on social media following the hearing, drawing renewed attention to ongoing clashes between federal immigration authorities and activists opposing ICE operations in Minnesota.
The enforcement activity in Minnesota is occurring amid a broader national crackdown on illegal immigration. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded zero releases by the U.S. Border Patrol for the eighth consecutive month, with nationwide encounters reaching historic lows under the Trump administration.
Viral ICE Video Highlights Enforcement Confrontations
Omar’s remarks coincided with the circulation of a separate viral video showing a confrontation between an ICE agent and protesters during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis.
In the video, posted to X on Sunday, an ICE agent is seen confronting individuals blocking a vehicle during an arrest operation. The agent states, “We’re trying to arrest a child sex offender. That’s who you guys are protecting. Insane!” The clip was filmed during a targeted ICE operation and shows protesters physically obstructing federal agents.
“We are trying to arrest a child s*x offender” ICE agents say as activists honk to alert to their presence in St Paul Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/TmL3DlZZ8F
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) January 18, 2026
The video, attributed to a freelance journalist and reposted by multiple accounts, has received hundreds of thousands of views and prompted widespread debate over protester interference with immigration enforcement actions.
Federal officials have said recent ICE operations in Minnesota have focused on individuals with criminal records, including those accused or convicted of serious offenses. However, ICE has not publicly released case-specific details related to the individual referenced in the viral video.
Broader Political Context
Omar, who was born in Somalia and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000, has been a vocal opponent of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and has repeatedly criticized ICE activity in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Her comments come amid heightened federal enforcement activity in Minnesota following a large-scale fraud investigation and increased scrutiny of ICE operations. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the White House has accused Minnesota Democratic officials — including Omar — of promoting anti-ICE rhetoric and “sanctuary” policies that it says undermine public safety and contribute to a hostile environment for federal officers.
The administration has argued that resistance by state and local officials to cooperation with federal immigration enforcement has necessitated expanded federal involvement in Minnesota. Democratic officials have disputed that characterization, defending their opposition to ICE enforcement tactics and federal deployment decisions.
Omar’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding her remarks or the viral ICE video.
