U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar is crying that ICE has been targeting her and her son, claiming federal agents pulled her son over as an act of intimidation tied to her political identity.
It's a fast-moving story, but credibility can't keep up.
"Yesterday, after he made a stop at Target, he did get pulled over by [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents, and once he was able to produce his passport ID, they did let him go," Omar said in an interview with Esme Murphy on WCCO Sunday Morning.
The congresswoman said her son "always carries" his passport.
Omar said ICE also previously entered a mosque where his son and others were praying, but left without incident. After that, she said she "had to remind him just how worried I am, because all of these areas that they are talking about are areas where he could find himself in, and they are racially profiling, they are looking for young men who look Somali that they think are undocumented."
ICE says otherwise, describing the stop as routine enforcement activity, and saying there's no evidence supporting a political motive.
Stop me if you've heard this one before.
Omar offers outrage instead of proof, a pattern that never changes. Minnesota hosts a large Somali population, including a large number living here illegally, with estimates placing that figure around 10,000.
Federal authorities have also documented terrorism-related cases involving Somali nationals over the years, including recruitment and fundraising tied to al-Shabaab. Attention from law enforcement flows from intelligence, data, and prior cases, not personal vendettas against members of Congress.
Context matters, especially when accusations carry weight.
For years, Omar has been attacking ICE as immoral and illegitimate, using language designed to inflame rather than persuade. When a public official, especially a member of Congress, wages rhetorical war against an agency, attention shouldn't come as a surprise. Action invites scrutiny, words generate consequences, and none of that equals persecution.
Victimhood in today's society plays well, flipping power dynamics and shielding leaders from accountability. Omar holds federal office, commands national media coverage, and enjoys institutional protection unavailable to us unwashed Americans.
Omar, presenting herself as powerless while wielding congressional authority, mirrors a general claiming captivity while issuing orders from the command tent.
Her son's involvement raises another concern: ICE states agents followed standard procedures, while Omar hasn't shown documentation suggesting otherwise. Emotional storytelling fills the gaps, with media amplification doing the rest. Outrage circulates, burying facts.
Omar's emotional storytelling features her annoying sing-song voice, which continually rises, hitting a high note in every sentence.
Law enforcement agencies don't conduct traffic stops for political theater. Agents follow leads, warrants, and operational priorities. Omar's suggestion of a coordinated effort to harass a sitting lawmaker sounds dramatic, but drama doesn't substitute for evidence.
The lesson from Liberty Valance still applies, just warped. When legend replaces fact, the legend runs. When emotion replaces evidence, the tears get ink, and the truth gets buried.
Omar's broader record complicates her claim; she's minimized national concerns using rhetoric that many Americans view as hostile towards our institutions. She's deliberately courted controversy, an approach that generates attention, which doesn't equal targeting.
Victimhood does exist: families separated unfairly, people mistreated by power, and lives damaged by corruption or abuse. When that definition becomes diluted for political gain, it insults those experiences, eroding public trust.
Bastardizing victimhood is directly related to how the term "racist" has been used: when everything is racist, nothing is.
Equality before the law works both ways. Despite everything she's done, she deserves fair treatment; so do the agents who do their job without political smears. Immigration enforcement in Minnesota reflects demographics and prior cases, not personal animus.
Calling routine enforcement persecution cheapens serious debate and distracts from policy questions worth arguing honestly. Immigration policy demands clarity, not melodrama.
And, surprise! Omar chose spectacle.
Again.
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