People rep. Ilhan sprays an unknown substance on Omar and is tackled at Minneapolis Town Hall

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A man who is Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unknown substance and pinned to the floor Tuesday at a town hall he was hosting in Minneapolis, where tensions have risen with federal immigration enforcement after agents shot him this month and three months into intensive care.

The man, wearing a black jacket and holding a syringe, was pinned down and his hands tied behind his back as onlookers cheered. “Oh my God, he’s sprayed something on her,” said one person in the crowd in a video of the incident.

Earlier, Omar had called for the dismantling of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noem.

“ICE cannot be reformed,” she said.

Minneapolis police said officers saw a man use a syringe to spray Omar with an unknown liquid. They immediately arrested him and booked him into the county jail for third-degree assault, spokesman Trevor Folke said in an email. Police also said forensic scientists responded to the scene.

Omar continues to the town hall after the man is escorted out of the room by his security detail. Reporters said there was a strong, vinegar-like smell when the man pushed into the syringe.

When she got out later, Omar said she was a little shaken but not hurt. He was to be examined by a medical team.

She later posted on social platform X: “I’m fine. I’m a survivor, so this little agitator won’t scare me from doing my job. I’m not going to let the bullies win. Grateful for my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota Strong.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Tuesday night.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the congresswoman and has stepped up her verbal attacks on her in recent months as she turns her attention to Minneapolis.

At a cabinet meeting in December, he called her “filth” and added that “her friends are filth.”

Hours earlier on Tuesday, the president criticized Omar when he addressed a crowd in Iowa and said his administration would only allow in immigrants who “can show they love our country.”

“They should be proud, not like Ilhan Omar,” he said, making a loud noise at the mention of his name.

He added: “She comes from a country that’s a disaster. So maybe, it’s supposed to be, I think – it’s not even a country.”

Fellow US Rep. Nancy Mays of South Carolina condemned the attack on Omar.

“I am deeply disturbed to learn that Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked at Town Hall today,” Mays said via X. “As much as I disagree with his rhetoric — and I do — no elected official should have to face physical assault. This is not us.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, also condemned the attack on X, saying: “Unacceptable. Violence and threats have no place in Minneapolis. We can disagree without putting people at risk.”

He added that he was relieved Omar was “okay” and thanked the police for their quick response, concluding: “This kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our city.”

The attack comes days after a man in Utah was arrested after Trump punched U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Florida Democrat, in the face at the Sundance Film Festival and said Trump was going to deport him.

Threats against members of Congress have increased in recent years, peaking in 2021 and following the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6 of that year, before dipping only slightly to climb again, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Capitol Police.

Lawmakers have discussed the chill the intimidation has brought on their ability to hold town halls and public events, with some citing a climate of insecurity in their decision not to seek re-election.

Omar has faced the most particular concern, having long been targeted by Trump and other Republicans with harsh language and personal attacks.

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Schoenbaum reported from Salt Lake City.