Ilhan Omar Calls for Impeachment of Noem, Abolishment of ICE Amidst Protests
Minneapolis, MN – Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, called for the impeachment of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and the abolishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a press conference held one day after she was sprayed with an unknown substance at a town hall event in her district on Tuesday evening. The press conference, held alongside Representative Ayanna Pressley, Democrat of Massachusetts, focused on retribution against federal law enforcement in the wake of a fatal shooting in Minneapolis involving federal immigration officials.
The call for action came after a man, identified as Alex Pretti, was fatally shot by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. According to Fox News, video footage surfaced showing a man resembling Pretti spitting at federal agents and damaging a government SUV days before the shooting. The video, reportedly recorded on January 13 and released by The News Movement, showed the man shouting and spitting at federal agents before kicking the taillight of a federal SUV.
Omar's criticism of federal law enforcement and ICE is not new. "Ilhan Omar says abolishing ICE is 'bare-minimum' that must happen after Minneapolis shootings," Fox News reported.
The incident involving Omar occurred at her own event in North Minneapolis. According to the New York Times, the attack followed years of targeted rhetoric against her by former President Trump. Trump had singled out Omar at a rally in Iowa, stating that immigrants entering the United States should "show they can love our country; they have to be proud not like Ilhan Omar." The crowd responded with boos. The New York Times noted that Trump has "demonized and dehumanized" Omar for years with "racist and xenophobic attacks," including telling her to "go back to her country" and referring to her as "garbage."
The timing of the incident also coincided with discussions regarding North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The New York Times reported that NORAD, a Cold War-era agreement between the United States and Canada, gained attention as the Trump administration emphasized the need for stronger Arctic defense.
In other news, Senator Marco Rubio discussed Venezuela's interim government agreeing to submit a monthly budget to the Trump administration, according to the New York Times. The budget would allow the White House to release money from an account funded by the country's oil sales, initially managed by Qatar. Democrats raised concerns about the plan, questioning its legality and transparency, particularly regarding Qatar's involvement. Rubio conceded that the plan was "novel and hastily designed."
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