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116th Congress

Many segments of our immigration system have been impacted by the pandemic. On April 20th, President Trump announced he would be temporarily suspending all immigration to the US. We will continue to update our community as the President provides more details on this action.


Having healthcare coverage is more important now than ever for Minnesotans and our families. As a Minnesotan, you have options to make sure that you and your family are covered. Overviews of the coverage options in Minnesota can be found here and a guide to public healthcare options can be found here.


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March 30, 2020

MINNEAPOLIS—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) released the following statement after speaking with Holland America parent company Carnival Corporation & PLC about steps to provide medical care to passengers on board the Holland America cruise ship MS Zandaam. On Friday, four passengers were reported dead on the cruise ship. 138 have reported flu-like symptoms and two have now tested positive for COVID-19. There are at least six Minnesotans on Zandaam—four of whom are ill.

March 27, 2020

WASHINGTON—Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Bernie Sanders today led a bicameral letter to Amazon requesting detailed information into how the company plans to protect their warehouse workers, who remain on the job during this dire public health emergency. This issue has become all the more urgent since workers at 10 Amazon warehouses tested positive for COVID-19 as of this week. Rep. Omar and Sen.

March 24, 2020

WASHINGTON—Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) led a letter to House leadership today calling for measures to ensure the protection of refugees, asylees, and other immigrants in emergency legislation responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Members requested that funding for refugee admissions be included in future coronavirus emergency legislation, that refugee admissions are resumed expeditiously, and that the Administration extend validity periods for visas and security checks to account for coronavirus-related delays.

Issues:Immigration

On Tuesday, November 18th at 6 PM CT, Rep. Omar will be hosting a tele-town hall to hear directly from you and carry your priorities to the People’s House! If you would like to participate in the call, please sign-up below. 


March 23, 2020

WASHINGTON Today, Congresswomen Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) introduced the Student Debt Emergency Relief Act, legislation that provides immediate monthly payment relief for federal student loan borrowers, cancels at least $30,000 in outstanding student loan debt per borrower, and shields borrowers from any involuntary payments and garnishment during the public health crisis.

Event Date:
Monday, March 23, 2020 – 05:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Rep. Omar will host a Facebook town hall to discuss steps we're taking at the federal level to confront the coronavirus crisis.

You can watch the event here.


March 20, 2020

WASHINGTON—Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) led a letter to Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf calling for a suspension of interior immigration enforcement, a deportation freeze, a freeze to in-person immigration court proceedings, and a comprehensive plan to prevent an outbreak in immigration detention facilities during the COVID-19 epidemic. The letter was signed by Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Debbie Dingell, Joseph P. Kennedy III, Barbara Lee, David E. Price, Raúl M. Grijalva, Scott Peters, Henry C.