Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has been a vocal opponent of U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). The Minnesota representative has never concealed her antagonism towards ICE, whether by calling for their defunding or advocating the release of illegal aliens – including criminals.
The letter she sent to ICE on September 12 is just the latest antic in her crusade to erode American immigration enforcement. In her message, Rep. Omar expressed concern over the slated deportation of 39 Somali nationals from her Congressional district due to fear of spreading COVID-19 to others upon arrival back home.
Interim ICE Director Tony Pham responded on September 18 to Rep. Omar’s letter, justifying the deportations.
Interim Director Pham reassured Omar that none of the Somali nationals exhibited symptoms of coronavirus. Medical professionals conducted health screenings before its outbreak in compliance with the additional precautions taken by ICE and recommended by the CDC.
He then addressed the criminal histories carried by 36 of the 39 deportees. Their offenses included, but were not limited, to murder, sexual assault, robbery, and drug trafficking. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, one of the alien deportees is likely Mahdi Mohammed Hashi, convicted in 2016 for providing material support to the East African terrorist organization, Al-Shabaab.
Rep. Omar has yet to respond to Director Pham’s letter.
A few days before her inquiry to ICE, she posted a tweet calling to abolish the agency after ICE announced the apprehension of over 2,000 criminal aliens this past summer. Similar to the Somali removals, most of the arrested aliens had criminal convictions, ranging from domestic violence to assaulting children.
She said in her tweet, “The cruelty of ICE knows no bounds. In the middle of a pandemic, this agency continues to terrorize the most vulnerable. ICE must be abolished.” This response poses an important question How do murderers and convicted child-abusers constitute “the most vulnerable?”
In both instances, Rep. Omar has used the Covid-19 pandemic as a front to decry the deportation of illegal aliens, many of whom have committed horrific crimes. The lack of concern for the general public’s safety from a sitting member of Congress should shock the conscience of law-abiding Americans. Characterizing ICE as “terrorizing” the vulnerable is far from the truth. ICE’s top priority has been apprehending and removing foreign nationals who pose a significant public safety or national security risk.
Rather than criticizing the men and women who courageously apprehend dangerous individuals to keep our communities safe from harm, Rep. Omar should focus on ensuring her constituents do not fall victim to a preventable crime at the hand of an illegal alien.
