Ilhan Omar Responds After Guest Arrested at SOTU 

Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar said on Wednesday that the arrest of her State of the Union guest sends a "chilling message" about the state of democracy in the United States.

The U.S. Capitol Police told Newsweek that Aliya Rahman was arrested Tuesday night after disrupting the proceeding, saying she "started demonstrating" during the address and refused to obey orders to sit down. Rahman was charged with "unlawful conduct."

Why It Matters

Rahman, a disabled U.S. citizen, made headlines in January after she was filmed being dragged out of her car and detained by immigration officers while on her way to a medical appointment in Minneapolis.

Immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota, particularly in Minneapolis, have come under heightened scrutiny following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, by federal agents.

Omar, a Democrat, has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration on multiple issues, including immigration enforcement in her state, as well as against anti-Somali discrimination.

Representative Ilhan Omar listens to other members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 20...Read More | Heather Diehl/Getty Images

What To Know

In a post on X, Omar called for a "full explanation" of why Rahman was arrested. Omar said Rahman was reportedly "aggressively handled" and then taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment and later booked at the United States Capitol Police headquarters."

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Her post continued, "The heavy-handed response to a peaceful guest sends a chilling message about the state of our democracy," adding that she is calling for "a full explanation of why this arrest occurred."

Last month, Rahman, a Bangladeshi American software engineer, said she had been on her way to an appointment at the Traumatic Brain Injury Center when she encountered federal immigration agents at an intersection. She told Newsweek that she was dragged from her vehicle even after telling agents she was disabled. She said she was denied medical care while in ICE custody and was only taken to the hospital after she lost consciousness.

The Department of Homeland Security described Rahman as an agitator who "ignored multiple commands by an officer to move her vehicle away from the scene."

What People Are Saying

Aliya Rahman told Democracy Now on Wednesday: “There are only two things you can do at the State of the Union, and they are sit down and stand up. All kinds of people were standing up all night. Me too. I stood up at the moment that I heard this man say some of the most racist things I have heard come out of any leader’s mouth about the people of my city.”

Alexa Van Brunt, Aliya Rahman's attorney and the director of the MacArthur Justice Center, said in a statement to Newsweek: "Aliya Rahman was targeted at the State of the Union last night. After standing up in silence during the speech, Aliya was quickly taken away and arrested for 'unlawful conduct' and released just before 4 a.m. today. There is nothing unlawful about standing in silence and this is a blatant abuse of power. She was not disruptive or disrespectful. She was not holding a sign, making gestures, or wearing protest gear. She was simply standing in silence."

The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement to Newsweek: "All State of the Union tickets clearly explain that demonstrating is prohibited. At approximately 10:07 p.m., a person in the House Gallery started demonstrating during tonight's State of the Union Address. The guest was told to sit down, but refused to obey our lawful orders."

Update 2/25/26, 4:26 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

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