A mugshot from Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) 2013 arrest has resurfaced online, renewing attention on an incident that occurred years before the Minnesota Democrat entered Congress.
Omar was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor trespassing at the Hotel Ivy in downtown Minneapolis on Jan. 18, 2013, according to a police report previously obtained by Alpha News.
The incident followed an event at the Minneapolis Convention Center featuring Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who was serving as Somalia’s president. Mohamud was expected to stay at the hotel after the event.
A crowd followed the Somali president’s motorcade to the hotel, according to the report. Omar, who had not yet entered elected office, was among those who gathered inside the building.
Hotel employees reportedly asked Minneapolis police officers to clear the lobby. Anyone who did not possess a hotel room key was informed that they needed to leave the property.
Most members of the group followed the officers’ instructions, the police report stated. Omar allegedly became argumentative and initially refused to leave.
An officer wrote that Omar pulled away when he attempted to take hold of her elbow and escort her from the lobby. She allegedly told the officer not to touch her before eventually leaving with other members of the group.
Police encountered Omar inside the hotel again approximately 10 minutes later, according to the officer’s account. She was reportedly sitting in another area of the lobby.
The officer said Omar remained defiant after being warned that she would be arrested for trespassing if she refused to leave. Police then placed her in handcuffs while she remained seated.
Omar was transported to the Hennepin County Jail and photographed during the booking process. The resurfaced image shows front and side views of Omar wearing an orange jail uniform.
The officer wrote that Omar was booked because he believed she could fail to respond to a citation and might continue the conduct that led to her arrest.
The case did not lead to a conviction. The allegation was subsequently dropped, according to the Star Tribune and a later review of the claim by Snopes.
The distinction means Omar was arrested and booked on suspicion of trespassing but was not found guilty of the offense. Reports describing her as having been convicted over the episode would therefore be inaccurate.
The 2013 incident first received broad political attention during Omar’s 2018 congressional campaign, when the police report and booking photograph were circulated publicly.
Omar won election to Congress that year and began representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in January 2019. She became one of the first two Muslim women elected to the House.
The Minnesota Democrat was arrested again in July 2022 during a civil-disobedience demonstration outside the Supreme Court. Omar’s office said she participated in the protest after the court overturned Roe v. Wade.
That episode was separate from the Hotel Ivy arrest and involved Omar serving as a sitting member of Congress. Several other Democratic lawmakers were also detained during the demonstration.
The renewed circulation of the 2013 mugshot comes as Omar remains one of the country’s most closely scrutinized and politically polarizing congressional figures.
Neither the photograph nor the police report represents a new criminal case against Omar. They document an arrest that occurred more than 13 years ago and resulted in the allegation being dismissed.
