STORY: 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) as she condemned the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 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. 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.

Omar was criticizing 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.

Minneapolis police said officers at the scene observed the man use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid at Omar. Police immediately arrested him for third-degree assault and said 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 odor. "I need a napkin," Omar remarked as the man was taken away, before she said, "We will continue."

The incident drew swift condemnation from U.S. lawmakers, with Representative Ilhan Omar saying she would not be intimidated, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz warning the state had been “shattered” by political violence, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez alleging the attack followed days of harsh rhetoric directed at Omar by U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR SPEAKING AT A MINNEAPOLIS TOWN HALL / HECKLER SPRAYING LIQUID AT OMAR / SECURITY TACKLING HECKLER AND REMOVING HIM FROM SCENE / SOUNDBITES FROM OMAR / SCREENSHOTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA POST FROM OMAR, MN GOVERNOR TIM WALZ AND U.S. REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART AUDIO AS INCOMING

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA (JANUARY 27, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR SPEAKING DURING TOWN HALL / (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR, SAYING:

OMAR: “ICE could not be reformed, it cannot be rehabilitated, we must abolish ICE for good. (PEOPLE APPLAUDING) And DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment. (PEOPLE APPLAUDING) / MAN SPRAYING LIQUID ON OMAR, TELLING HER (English): “You resign.” / MAN BEING TACKLED BY SECURITY PERSONNEL, OTHER SECURITY PEOPLE CHECKING ON OMAR / UNIDENTIFIED PERSON HEARD SAYING: “Oh my God he sprayed something on her.” / OMAR SAYING: “I need a napkin, I need a napkin to know…”

2. OMAR TELLING HER SECURITY DETIAL SHE WILL CONTINUE SPEAKING AND HEARD SAYING: “We will continue, this fucking asshole is not going to get away with it.” / OMAR ANNOUNCING SHE WILL CONTINUE

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR, SAYING: (AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING DUE TO INCIDENT)

“And we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.”

4. HACKLER BEING IMMBOLIZED BY SECURITY AS OMAR CAN BE HEARD SAYING (English): “Everybody settle down, I'm going to finish my remarks It is important for me to continue to lead my Democratic colleagues in demanding her resignation. And like I said, if she does not resign, we are going to introduce articles of impeachment.” / HACKLER BEING REMOVED FROM ROOM AS PEOPLE CAN BE HEARD CHEERING

5. EARLIER FOOTAGE AT LECTER BEFORE INCIDENT

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR, SAYING:

“The level of violence, federal overreach, lawlessness carried out in the name of immigration enforcement is unprecedented. U.S. citizens are being assaulted and detained. Minnesotans are expected to carry their citizenship papers. People are dying in ICE custody.”

9. WHITE FLASH

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR, SAYING:

“Trump and his paramilitary immigration enforcement will not get away with their unlawful attacks on our state. The Constitution is on our side, and we will fight every single day to defend it. (ATTENDEES CHEERING) As it's been said, real justice and accountability starts with full transparent investigation and legal action against ICE, followed by the abolishment of the agency.”

11. WHITE FLASH

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR, SAYING:

“Renee Good should be alive. Alex Petty should still be alive. Please, let's take a moment of silence for Alex and Renee. (ATTENDEES TAKING MOMENT OF SILENCE)

13. WHITE FLASH

14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR, SAYING:

“The children that are afraid to go to schools, the mothers and fathers that are free to drop them off. You know, the elderly shop owners in Karmel Mall, they're all citizens, but they don't want the trauma of seeing men with heavy machine guns because that is who they escaped to come to the United States. They don't want to go through a checkpoint because that is what they escaped to come to the United States. They don't want a gun drawn on them asking for their ID because that's what they escaped.”

15. WHITE FLASH

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR, SAYING: (SOUNDBITE STARTS OVER CLOSE UP OF OMAR AND CONTINUES WIDE OF OMAR AND ATTENDEES APPLAUDING)

“It's truly heartbreaking this moment we find ourselves in. But if we know anything about us, history is that everything is temporary and we will find our way out of this. So thank you all.”

INTERNET (JANUARY 27, 2026) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE – Access all)

16. SCREENSHOT FROM SOCIAL MERIDA POST FROM OFFICIAL X ACCOUNT OF ILHAN OMAR READING (English):

“The Office of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) issued the following statement following the incident at her town hall in North Minneapolis. “During her town hall, an agitator tried to attack the Congresswoman by spraying an unknown substance with a syringe. Security and the Minneapolis Police Department quickly apprehended the individual. He is now in custody. The Congresswoman is okay. She continued with her town hall because she doesn’t let bullies win.”

17. SCREENSHOT FROM SOCIAL MERIDA POST FROM PERSONAL X ACCOUNT OF ILHAN OMAR READING (English):

“I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.

18. SCREENSHOT FROM MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ’ SOCIAL MEDIA POST READING (English):

“I’m glad that Congresswoman Omar is safe. Our state has been shattered by political violence in the last year. The cruel, inflammatory, dehumanizing rhetoric by our nation’s leaders needs to stop immediately.”

19. SCREENSHOT FROM U.S. REP ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ:

“It is not a coincidence that after days of President Trump and VP Vance putting Rep. Omar in their crosshairs with slanderous public attacks, she gets assaulted at her town hall. Thank God she is okay. If they want leaders to take down the temp, they need to look in the mirror.”