Omar: Working amid 'chaos' to keep Minnesota's 5th healthy and strong
U.S Rep. Ilhan Omar
By U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, DFL-5th District
Donald Trump unleashed a paramilitary force to conduct an organized campaign of fear against our immigrant communities in Minnesota. For over 70 days, ICE and Border Patrol agents indiscriminately snatched hundreds of Black and Brown Minnesotans off the streets, tore apart countless families, and met civilians looking out for their neighbors with lethal force. These rogue agents murdered our beloved neighbors, Renée Good and Alex Pretti. Trump’s goons showed the world a level of cruelty fit for a battlefield, rather than an American city.
There is only one recourse after this militarized racial terror – we must abolish ICE. Minnesotans deserve a full independent investigation into the federal occupation of our state, accountability for the many abuses of our rights, and a guarantee that this abuse of power can never happen again.
Shamefully, Republicans in Congress lack the backbone needed to stand up to the lawlessness of this administration. Republicans forced a bill to send ICE and Border Patrol an additional $70 billion – adding to the whopping $140 billion these agencies received through the Big, Ugly Budget Bill last year. It’s unconscionable. We cannot continue to fund these agencies that refuse to honor the due process and equal protections guaranteed under our Constitution. Taxpayer dollars should not bankroll civil rights abuses. I voted against this funding package on the House Floor and will keep fighting to hold ICE accountable for their unlawful occupation of our state.
While our federal government continues to fail to act, our state is standing up for our neighbors. I was proud to see Hennepin County prosecutors bring charges against the ICE agent who fired shots at a Venezuelan immigrant in Minneapolis last January. This is the first step in ensuring Minnesotans get the justice they deserve. We will not rest until every single ICE agent who abused their power is held accountable.
Donald Trump is taking his reckless agenda of terror and dysfunction to the global stage. With complete disregard for our Constitution, Trump has been peddling an unauthorized war in Iran for over 12 weeks, and the cost of this conflict has been unfathomable. Over a dozen American servicemembers, including Minnesotan Sergeant First Class Nicole M. Amor, and thousands of Iranian civilians have lost their lives. We know that endless military strikes will not bring peace, only more death and destruction. Minnesotans cannot afford another forever war in which the only real outcomes appear to be devastating loss of life, rising gas prices, and a bigger bill at the grocery store. Congress must immediately pass a War Powers Resolution and put an end to this needless conflict.
I’ve heard from you at my town halls, in our community, and seen the messages you’ve sent into my office. You’ve been clear: we cannot allow this level of chaos and dysfunction to become our new normal. This Congress, Republicans have pushed one failed policy after another – stagnating progress and doing nothing to address the needs of everyday Americans.
Folks in Minnesota, and across the country, have already suffered enough under this cruel regime. Working Americans are straining to keep up with the growing affordability crisis caused by Trump and Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill. The massive Medicaid cuts in last year’s budget bill are threatening healthcare access for millions. Here at home, hospitals like Hennepin County Medical Center cannot afford to bear the burden.
HCMC has been a lifeline for thousands of Minnesotans, including me – three of my kids were born there. I was relieved to see our state legislature reach a deal to save our safety-net hospital. While HCMC’s doors will remain open, looming Medicaid cuts are threatening hospitals and clinics across our state. We must act now to restore this federal funding and fix this Republican-made healthcare crisis.
House Republicans also passed a disastrous Farm Bill that fails to address the $186 billion cut made to SNAP, threatening over 23 million kids who rely on that funding to access free school lunches. In response, I joined Senator Bernie Sanders in reintroducing our Universal School Meals Program Act. Our legislation will ensure students can access free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks year-round. No child should ever go hungry in the wealthiest nation in the world, and this bill is a step toward making that future a reality.
In April, Republicans opened the door for a massive mining operation in our Boundary Waters. They passed a bill that enables foreign companies to mine sulfide-ore copper from BWCA lands and sell it to the highest bidder on the global market. This operation will irreparably damage one of our most pristine ecosystems – all so corporations can profit. I’m doing everything in my power to reverse this massive betrayal of our public lands.
While Trump and Republicans continue to sow chaos and dysfunction in Washington, I’m focused on making our Fifth District communities healthier, safer, and stronger. I’m proud to announce that we’ve secured more than $10.8 million in federal funding for 14 community projects spanning across the Fifth District this year. These projects aim to improve infrastructure in the Fifth District, create emergency housing to support unhoused Minnesotans, and ensure our cities have the necessary facilities to keep our communities safe and healthy.
None of this work happens alone. I’m deeply grateful to the local, state, and community leaders who championed these projects. Together, we’ll keep fighting to build the safer, stronger Minnesota that our future generations deserve!