Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Demands Answers About the Presence of an Undercover HSI Agent Outside her Town Hall Meeting

MINNEAPOLIS – Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) sent an oversight letter to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) demanding a response as to why an undercover HSI agent was stationed outside of her monthly town hall meeting in Richfield. Following nationwide concerns about the Trump Administration’s use of ICE and DHS to intimidate Americans who oppose their political agenda, this action raises serious concerns about the purpose of HSI’s presence at the Congresswoman’s public event.

It also raises concerns about practices at HSI and ICE more broadly. It calls into question the level of training agents are receiving before being sent out into the field, given the agent claimed to have been conducting an undercover criminal operation with no prior coordination with local law enforcement near the Congresswoman’s event. Importantly, it indicates that HSI is continuing to use mismatched license plates on vehicles, in violation of state law and in contradiction to earlier commitments HSI made to Rep. Omar.

“HSI's actions yesterday evening put an entire community at risk,” said Rep. Omar. “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. It also raises serious and uncomfortable questions about the purpose of HSI's presence outside of my event. At best, your agent was unable to assess that the parking lot of a community center hosting a Congressional event wasn’t the best place to conduct a drug operation. At worst, it emphasizes many Americans’ growing concern that the Trump administration uses ICE to surveil political opponents and may interfere with our democracy.”

Congresswoman Omar is demanding answers to the following questions:

1. Please explain why an agent was detailed to Richfield Community Center on the evening of Thursday, August 6, 2026.
2. Please explain when and how the HSI agent and her supervisors became aware I was hosting a town hall at this location and what action that knowledge prompted.
3. Please provide an overview of the training the agent had completed prior to her assignment at this location, as well as how long she has served as an HSI agent.
4. Richfield Police Department reported that they had received no advance communication of an undercover operation from HSI that would have allowed them to ensure the safety of the officer and the community, as well as support HSI's broader work to combat drug trafficking. Please explain what steps you take to coordinate undercover criminal operations with local law enforcement, and why in this instance there was no prior coordination with Richfield Police Department.
5. Please share details of any meetings or events I have hosted in my official capacity as a Member of Congress that HSI agents may have been assigned to observe and why. Please share whether HSI agents have observed any other activity being undertaken in an official capacity by any other local, state, or federal officials in Minnesota this year.

You can find the full text of the oversight letter here. 

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