Ilhan Omar says her guest was arrested at Trump’s State of the Union

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., says her guest to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address was forcibly removed and arrested by Capitol Police on Tuesday night.

Omar cited “reports” claiming that software engineer Aliya Rahman was “aggressively handled” as she was forcibly removed from the chamber during Trump’s speech. Omar invited Rahman after she had an altercation with federal agents in Minnesota during “Operation Metro Surge” in January.

“My guest, Aliya Rahman, stood up silently in the gallery during the president’s speech for a short period of time, part of which other guests were also standing. For that, she was forcibly removed, despite warning officers about her injured shoulders and ultimately charged with ‘Unlawful Conduct,'” Omar wrote in a statement

“Reports indicate she was aggressively handled until someone intervened to secure medical attention. She was taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment and later booked at the United States Capitol Police headquarters,” she continued.

“The heavy-handed response to a peaceful guest sends a chilling message about the state of our democracy. I am calling for a full explanation of why this arrest occurred,” she added.

reached out to Capitol Police, but they did not immediately respond.

The charge Omar said Rahman faces exposes her to a possible sentence of six months in prison and a fine of up to $500.

“There are only two things you can do at the State of the Union, and they are sit down and stand up,” Rahman told Democracy Now. I was arrested for standing up.”

ILHAN OMAR DOESN’T HAVE ANY REGRETS FOR HER ”UNAVOIDABLE’ OUTBURST AT STATE OF THE UNION

Aliya Rahman, a guest of Rep. Ilan Omar, D- MN, and a Minneapolis resident who was detained by DHS agents, is escorted from the chamber as Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The incident comes after Trump deployed Border Czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis last month after several violent and even deadly interactions between anti-ICE agitators and federal law enforcement.

Homan announced the end of “Operation Metro Surge” earlier this month, saying it was no longer necessary thanks to new cooperation from local law enforcement.

“As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said Feb. 12.

White House border czar Tom Homan attends a press conference, in Minneapolis, Minn., Jan. 29, 2026.  (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

Homan clarified that a “small footprint of personnel” would remain for a period of time, and he also remains in Minnesota monitoring the drawdown process.

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“Additionally, federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators, as well as the personnel assigned here for the fraud investigations, will remain in place until the work is done,” Homan said at the time.

‘ Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

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