Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unidentified substance while making opening remarks at her first in-person town hall of the year in Minneapolis. The incident occurred at a community centre in the north of the city when a man stood up from the front row and sprayed her.
Security swiftly tackled the man to the ground and escorted him out of the room as the crowd applauded. Omar insisted on continuing the event, saying, 'I learned at a young age that you don’t give into threats.' The man was arrested for third-degree assault and forensic scientists are evaluating the scene.
The attack comes amid heightened tensions over federal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota. Earlier on Tuesday, thousands of students and teachers described how the immigration surge is affecting schools, with families afraid to send children to class. The Department of Homeland Security has faced calls for the resignation of Secretary Kristi Noem over the operations.
