Donald Trump’s administration is under scrutiny over allegations that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may be surveilling political opponents. The issue arose after an undercover agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a branch of ICE, was reportedly stationed outside Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar’s monthly town hall meeting in Richfield, Minnesota, on Thursday, August 6th, 2026.

In a letter to HSI, Omar said the agent claimed to be conducting an undercover drug operation but was parked outside the community center without prior notice to local law enforcement. A Richfield police officer became suspicious after noticing the agent in a Ford Explorer with license plates registered to a different vehicle. The officer approached the woman, who initially identified herself as security but later confirmed she was an HSI agent.

Omar criticized the operation, stating, “HSI’s actions yesterday evening put an entire community at risk. Instead of monitoring the area for those who might wish harm to me and my constituents, Richfield Police were required to devote time to investigating why an HSI agent was outside of a Congressional event in a vehicle with mismatched plates.”

Following the incident, Omar has called on the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to clarify whether HSI agents have been used to monitor any other activities involving local, state, or federal officials in Minnesota.

This event follows a January 2026 incident where Omar was sprayed with an unidentified substance from a syringe during a town hall meeting where she advocated for ICE to be abolished “for good.”

Sources