Ilhan Omar

Ilhan Omar
Official portrait, 2019
Ilhan Omar
Born	Ilham Abdullahi Omar 4 10, 1982
Birthplace	Mogadishu, Somalia
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Known for	First Somali-American member of U.S. Congress; first woman of color to represent Minnesota in Congress
Education	North Dakota State University (BA)
Children	3, including Isra Hirsi
Website	[[omar.house.gov omar.house.gov] Official site]

Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982) is an American politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district since January 2019. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, she represents a district that encompasses all of Minneapolis and several of its surrounding suburbs. Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Omar spent part of her childhood in a refugee camp in Kenya before her family resettled in the United States, eventually becoming an American citizen in 2000. Before her election to Congress, she served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019, representing District 60B in Minneapolis. Omar is the first Somali American elected to the United States Congress, one of the first two Muslim women (alongside Rashida Tlaib) to serve in Congress, and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota at the federal level. A member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, she has been an outspoken advocate for progressive policy positions including a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, student loan debt forgiveness, and immigration reform. Her political career has also been marked by controversy, particularly regarding her criticisms of Israel and the influence of pro-Israel lobbying organizations in American politics, as well as by personal attacks and threats directed at her by political opponents.

Early Life

Ilhan Omar was born Ilham Abdullahi Omar on October 4, 1982, in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. She was the youngest of seven children in her family. Her early childhood was spent in a relatively privileged household; her grandfather and other family members were involved in Somali government and civil society. However, the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 upended the family's life, forcing them to flee the country when Omar was approximately eight years old.

The Omar family spent roughly four years in a refugee camp in Kenya, enduring the difficult conditions common to such settlements in the region during that era. In 1995, the family was able to emigrate to the United States as refugees. They initially settled in Arlington, Virginia, before relocating to Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was home to a growing Somali diaspora community.

Omar's adjustment to life in the United States involved learning English and navigating a new cultural landscape. In interviews, she has described the experience of arriving in America and the challenges her family faced during their early years in the country. She has credited her grandfather as a formative influence on her political awareness, recounting that he took her to caucus meetings while she was still a teenager and served as his interpreter, translating the proceedings from English into Somali. This early exposure to grassroots American politics left a lasting impression and has been cited by Omar as a catalyst for her own eventual entry into public life.

Omar became a United States citizen in 2000, at the age of seventeen. The Minneapolis community in which she was raised, particularly the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, has one of the largest concentrations of Somali Americans in the country and would later form a significant part of her political base.

Education

Omar attended Edison High School in Minneapolis before pursuing higher education at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, North Dakota. She graduated from NDSU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and international studies. Her time at NDSU provided a foundation in political theory and global affairs that informed her later career in public service and policy advocacy.

Following her undergraduate studies, Omar returned to the Minneapolis area, where she became increasingly involved in community organizing and local politics. She also pursued additional policy training, serving as a Policy Fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

Career

Community Organizing and Early Political Involvement

Before seeking elected office, Omar was active in community organizing within the Somali-American community in Minneapolis. She worked as a community nutrition educator and later became involved in local political campaigns, gaining experience in grassroots mobilization and policy advocacy. Her early political involvement centered on issues affecting immigrant communities, education, and social services in the Cedar-Riverside area and surrounding neighborhoods.

Omar's entry into electoral politics followed her involvement in the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party's precinct caucus system in Minneapolis. The Cedar-Riverside caucuses, which drew large numbers of Somali-American participants, were at times contentious. In 2014, a caucus in the Cedar-Riverside area drew scrutiny after allegations of disorder and intimidation were reported, reflecting the intensity of political competition within the community.

Minnesota House of Representatives (2017–2019)

In 2016, Omar ran for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 60B, which covers parts of Minneapolis including the Cedar-Riverside and University of Minnesota campus areas. She challenged long-time incumbent Phyllis Kahn, who had held the seat since 1972, in the DFL primary. The primary was a three-way contest that also included Mohamud Noor. Omar won the DFL primary, effectively securing the seat in the heavily Democratic district.

In the general election, Omar's Republican opponent suspended his campaign, further easing her path to victory. Her election in November 2016 made her the first Somali-American legislator in the United States, an achievement that drew national and international media attention.

Omar took office on January 2, 2017, joining the Minnesota House as it convened in the newly refurbished State Capitol building. During her term in the state legislature, she focused on education, transportation, and environmental policy issues relevant to her diverse urban constituency. Her tenure in the Minnesota House lasted until January 2019, when she was succeeded by Mohamud Noor upon her election to the U.S. Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives (2019–present)

Election to Congress

In 2018, Omar ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Minnesota's 5th congressional district after incumbent Keith Ellison, who was himself the first Muslim elected to Congress, vacated the seat to run for Minnesota Attorney General. Omar won the DFL primary and the general election, becoming the first Somali American and one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. Her election, alongside that of Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, was noted as a historic milestone in American political representation.

Omar took office on January 3, 2019, succeeding Ellison.

Legislative Priorities and Policy Positions

In Congress, Omar has served as deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has been a vocal advocate for a range of progressive policy positions. Among her legislative priorities have been support for a $15 federal minimum wage, universal healthcare, the forgiveness of student loan debt, protection of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Omar's positions on immigration policy have remained a central component of her public profile. She has been a consistent critic of federal immigration enforcement practices, particularly those carried out by ICE. In February 2026, Omar and fellow Minnesota Representative Angie Craig publicly stated that they had been informed that ICE's presence in Minnesota numbered fewer than 500 agents, who were carrying out arrests in the state. Omar continued to highlight immigration issues in 2026, selecting four Minnesota constituents as her guests for the State of the Union address to draw attention to the impacts of ICE enforcement actions in the state.

Foreign Policy and Israel-Palestine Controversy

Omar has been a prominent critic of Israeli government policies and has expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. She has denounced Israel's settlement policies and military campaigns in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as what she has described as the outsized influence of pro-Israel lobbying organizations in American politics.

Her statements on Israel and the Israel lobby have generated significant controversy. Several of her comments were criticized by members of both parties as invoking antisemitic tropes, particularly a 2019 tweet suggesting that support for Israel in Congress was driven by campaign contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Omar apologized for some of her remarks while maintaining her criticism of lobbying practices.

In February 2023, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted to remove Omar from her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The Republican majority cited her past comments about Israel and raised concerns about her objectivity in matters of foreign policy. The vote was largely along party lines, and Omar and her Democratic allies characterized the removal as politically motivated retaliation.

The "Squad" and Progressive Coalition

Omar has been identified as a member of "the Squad," an informal group of progressive Democratic members of Congress that also includes Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and, later, other members. The group has been noted for its advocacy of progressive policies and its willingness to challenge both Republican opponents and the Democratic Party establishment on issues ranging from healthcare and climate change to foreign policy and racial justice.

Threats and Attacks

Omar has been the target of numerous threats and acts of hostility throughout her political career. Her political opponents, including former President Donald Trump, have made derogatory comments related to her Somali heritage and Muslim faith. Trump and others have also made unsubstantiated financial claims about Omar; in January 2026, Trump claimed that Omar was worth $44 million, a figure that Forbes examined and found to be unsupported by her financial disclosure filings.

In January 2026, Omar was physically attacked during a town hall event she was hosting in Minneapolis. A man identified as Anthony J. Kazmierczak, 55, rushed the podium and used a syringe to spray a brownish liquid smelling of vinegar at Omar. The man was tackled to the ground by attendees and subsequently arrested. Omar refused to end the town hall early despite urgings from her staff to leave and receive a medical evaluation. In a subsequent statement, she condemned what she described as an atmosphere of intimidation and "terrorizing" associated with federal immigration enforcement and hostility from political opponents. Speaking to the BBC after the incident, Omar stated, "I don't let bullies win."

Personal Life

Ilhan Omar has three children, including her daughter Isra Hirsi, who has gained public attention as a climate activist. Omar has spoken publicly about her family's experience as refugees and the role her grandfather played in shaping her political engagement.

Omar resides in Minneapolis, where she has maintained deep ties to the Somali-American community and the broader population of Minnesota's 5th congressional district. Her personal story—from refugee camp to the halls of Congress—has been a recurring theme in media coverage and in her own public communications, serving as a point of connection with immigrant communities across the country.

The threats and hostility directed at Omar have extended beyond the political arena into her personal life. She has received multiple death threats over the course of her career, prompting security concerns. The January 2026 attack at her Minneapolis town hall underscored the personal risks she has faced as a public figure.

Recognition

Omar's election to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016 was recognized as a historic first, making her the first Somali-American legislator in the United States. Her subsequent election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 further expanded this distinction, as she became the first Somali American in Congress, the first woman of color to represent Minnesota in Congress, and one of the first two Muslim women to serve in the body alongside Rashida Tlaib.

Her story has been the subject of extensive media coverage both domestically and internationally, with outlets from the Washington Post to Al Arabiya and The Guardian profiling her journey from the refugee camps of East Africa to the U.S. Capitol. Omar has been featured in discussions about representation, immigration, and the changing demographics of American political leadership.

Omar's role as a member of "the Squad" and her outspoken positions on progressive issues have made her one of the most recognized members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Her public profile has brought both support from progressive constituencies and sustained criticism from conservative opponents, making her a polarizing but undeniably prominent figure in contemporary American politics.

Legacy

Omar's political career has been significant for its role in expanding the representation of immigrant, Muslim, and Somali-American communities in American government. Her election in 2016 to the Minnesota House and in 2018 to Congress broke multiple barriers and was cited as evidence of the growing political influence of immigrant communities in the United States, particularly in Minnesota, which is home to one of the largest Somali diaspora populations in the world.

Her advocacy on issues such as immigration reform, healthcare access, and economic justice has placed her within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, contributing to internal debates about the party's direction and policy priorities. Her criticisms of U.S. foreign policy, particularly with regard to Israel and the Palestinian territories, have generated discussion about the boundaries of acceptable political speech and the role of lobbying in American democracy.

The hostility and threats Omar has faced have also become part of a broader national conversation about the treatment of women of color and members of religious minorities in American public life. Her response to the January 2026 attack—refusing to leave the town hall and continuing to engage with her constituents—received widespread media coverage and was cited by supporters as emblematic of her resilience in the face of personal danger.

Omar's career continues to evolve as she serves in Congress representing Minnesota's 5th district. Her trajectory from refugee to congresswoman remains one of the more notable biographical arcs in modern American political history.