Omar Claims Her SOTU Guest Was 'Forcibly Removed' from Gallery

Rep. Ilhan Omar says her guest was aggressively handled by police despite warning about her injured shoulders.

Feb. 26, 2026 at 5:03pm

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Rep. Ilhan Omar claims her guest at President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, Aliya Rahman, was 'forcibly removed' from the gallery despite standing silently for a short period. Omar says Rahman was 'aggressively handled' by police and later taken to the hospital before being booked at the U.S. Capitol Police headquarters.

Why it matters

This incident raises concerns about free speech and the treatment of peaceful protesters at high-profile political events. Omar is calling for a full explanation of why Rahman was arrested, arguing it sends a 'chilling message about the state of our democracy'.

The details

According to Omar, Rahman stood up silently in the gallery during Trump's speech, part of which other guests were also doing. However, Rahman was 'forcibly removed' and charged with 'Unlawful Conduct' despite warning officers about her injured shoulders. Reports indicate Rahman was 'aggressively handled' until someone intervened to secure medical attention, and she was taken to the hospital before being booked at the U.S. Capitol Police headquarters.

  • On Tuesday, Rahman attended President Trump's State of the Union address as Omar's guest.
  • In January, Rahman, a U.S. citizen, was allegedly dragged from her car by ICE officers in Minneapolis.

The players

Ilhan Omar

A Democratic U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 5th congressional district.

Aliya Rahman

Omar's guest at the State of the Union address who was allegedly forcibly removed from the gallery.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal law enforcement agency that allegedly dragged Rahman from her car in Minneapolis in January.

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What they’re saying

“My guest, Aliya Rahman, stood up silently in the gallery during the president's speech for a short period of time, part of which other guests were also standing. For that, she was forcibly removed, despite warning officers about her injured shoulders and ultimately charged with 'Unlawful Conduct'.”

— Ilhan Omar, U.S. Representative (Social media post)

“As shown in our video, Aliya Rahman clearly had enough room to move herself and her vehicle out of the way. Officers even walked away from her vehicle, thinking she was going to leave the scene. Instead, she remained at the location, continued to impede our officers, and found out the hard way.”

— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) (Social media post)

What’s next

The judge in Rahman's case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow her out on bail.

The takeaway

This incident highlights ongoing tensions between law enforcement and protesters, as well as concerns about the treatment of peaceful demonstrators at high-profile political events. It raises questions about free speech, civil liberties, and the state of democracy in the United States.