Chaos was witnessed at a town hall in Minnesota when U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unknown liquid during a public meeting on immigration policy.
The 55-year-old man, identified as Anthony Kazmierczak, rushed the stage carrying a syringe and sprayed a light-brown liquid at Omar, according to TMZ.
Witnesses said the substance had a strong, sour smell, similar to a chemical product.
Kazmierczak was quickly restrained by security and arrested, facing charges of third-degree assault after the attack that happened on Omar’s first town hall meeting since Alex Pretti’s shooting.
Omar, who was not injured, continued the town hall despite the attack, telling the audience she would not be intimidated.
“We’re going to keep talking. Just give me ten minutes. Please don’t let them have the show,” she said, displaying calm and courage.
The attack came as Omar was discussing calls for stricter immigration enforcement and urging the resignation of U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Local leaders, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, condemned the incident, saying it lacks a place in public life, and emphasising that people can disagree without putting others at risk.
Omar is a high-profile U.S. lawmaker and a trailblazer: she was the first Somali-American, one of the first African-born Americans, and among the first Muslim women elected to the U.S. Congress.
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali immigrant community in the United States, giving her widespread support in her district.
In recent days, it has become the centre of attention following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.
Pretti had recently become active in local demonstrations following the death of Renee Good, 37, who was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during a traffic incident on January 7, 2026.
The incident occurred near a doughnut shop while Pretti was filming federal agents and attempted to assist a woman who had been shoved to the ground.
While the Trump administration characterised Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” and an armed threat, eyewitness testimony and bystander video appear to show agents tackling Pretti, who was holding a cellphone, and disarming him of a lawfully carried handgun before firing at least ten shots while he was pinned to the ground.
Pretti’s death, the second fatal shooting of a citizen by federal forces in the city that month, has sparked intense national outrage and calls for an independent investigation into the tactics used during the administration’s immigration enforcement operations