Representative Ilhan Omar’s guest at the State of the Union was reportedly arrested and “forcibly removed” from the House chamber for simply standing during President Trump’s address, as reported by The Hill. The incident, which Omar detailed in a post on X, involved her constituent, Aliya Rahman, facing “Unlawful Conduct” charges from U.S. Capitol Police.
Omar stated that Rahman was “forcibly removed” after she “stood up silently” during a portion of President Trump’s remarks. The Minnesota congresswoman also reported that Rahman was “aggressively handled until someone intervened to secure medical attention.” Rahman was then taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment before being booked at the United States Capitol Police headquarters.
“The heavy-handed response to a peaceful guest sends a chilling message about the state of our democracy,” Omar wrote, expressing her concern. She is now calling for a full explanation of why this arrest occurred.
This isn’t Rahman’s first encounter with federal agents
The Bangladeshi American shared that in January, Department of Homeland Security agents in Minneapolis stopped her and dragged her out of her vehicle, an incident during which she sustained injuries. Before President Trump’s address, Rahman described not knowing the names of the agents involved as “really challenging.”
Rahman emphasized that her primary concern extends beyond herself. “Honestly the thing that I’m far more concerned about than myself is that this is an ongoing fear and threat for people around this country,” she said. She believes that what happened to her is not new in U.S. history and that a lack of accountability suggests such incidents will continue. This prior experience likely fueled her decision to make a silent protest at the State of the Union.
The evening also saw Representative Omar herself make headlines during President Trump’s speech. She was heard calling President Trump a “liar” as he discussed Somali immigrants and repeated claims about the community’s involvement in a social services fraud scheme in her home state. Omar’s actions drew criticism from some Republicans.
In an interview, Omar explained that her heckling was “unavoidable.” She stated, “The president talked about protecting Americans, and I just had to remind him that his administration was responsible for killing two of my constituents.” Omar was referencing the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by DHS officials in Minneapolis just last month.
It’s clear that the State of the Union was a night of significant protest for Representative Omar and her guest. We are still waiting for further details, as both Omar’s office and the Capitol Police have been contacted for comment.
Published: Feb 26, 2026 10:00 am