Man disrupts Ilhan Omar event in Minnesota, sprays her with liquid

Man disrupts Ilhan Omar's Minnesota event, spraying her with liquid during her speech on immigration enforcement.

Jan 27 (Reuters) - A man charged at Democratic U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar and sprayed ‍a foul-smelling liquid on her during a town hall in Minneapolis ​on Tuesday (January 27, 2026) as she condemned the actions of U.S. ‌Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota.

Video showed a ​man surging toward the U.S. lawmaker at the lectern and spraying a stream of liquid at her. A large man immediately grabbed him and took him to the ground. Ms. Omar took a few steps toward the man with her hand raised before he was subdued and she continued ​her presentation after a brief break. Minneapolis police said ⁠officers at the scene observed the man use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid at Ms. Omar.

Police immediately arrested him for third-degree assault and ​said Ms. Omar was uninjured. Forensic ⁠scientists responded to process the scene, police said.

“He sprayed something on her,” a woman at the town hall could be heard saying, while at least one woman commented ‌on the foul odour. “I need a napkin,” Ms. Omar remarked ‌as the man was taken away, before she said, “We will continue.”

Ilhan Omar was criticising ICE and ‍Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem when the man charged at her and called for her to resign in the ‍wake of the shooting death of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in recent weeks during President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement surge.

“ICE cannot be reformed, it cannot be rehabilitated, we must abolish ICE for good, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment,” Ms. Omar said as the crowd in the town hall applauded.