Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Muslim lawmaker from Minnesota, was attacked during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis on Tuesday night, January 27, while criticizing former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and the role of the Department of Homeland Security. According to eyewitnesses, an unidentified man approached the stage and sprayed a clear liquid toward Omar’s podium before being detained by security. Omar was shaken but unharmed and resumed her speech shortly afterward, declaring she would not be silenced.

Following the incident, Omar posted on social media platform X that she was safe and that such provocations would not deter her from fulfilling her duties. Minneapolis police later arrested a 55-year-old man identified as Anthony James Kazmierczak in connection with the attack.

Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned the assault, saying such attacks have become disturbingly frequent, while the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) described it as a result of racist and Islamophobic incitement. Omar, of Somali descent, has long been a vocal critic of Trump, who has previously used inflammatory language against her and the Somali community.