Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) claims her guest was “forcibly removed” from the gallery at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.
“My guest Alia Rehman stood quietly in the gallery for a while during the President’s speech, along with some of the other guests who were also standing,” Omar said. wrote In a social media post. “Despite warning authorities about her injured shoulders, she was forcibly removed and ultimately charged with ‘unlawful conduct.'”
The Democratic congresswoman then said she wanted answers regarding the incident.
Omar said on social media, “Reports indicate she was treated aggressively until someone intervened to ensure medical attention. She was taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment and later booked at United States Capitol Police Headquarters.” “The harsh response to a peaceful guest sends an appalling message about the state of our democracy. I am demanding a full explanation of why this arrest occurred.”
In January, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers reportedly pulled Rahman, a U.S. citizen, from his car in Minneapolis after he encountered a group of officers and protesters at an intersection, according to a January 15 report by the Associated Press (AP).
A report broadcast by Fox9 showed Rahman inside his vehicle with officers and protesters standing nearby. She is seen several times moving her vehicle while officers stand next to her. Moments later, officers pulled him out of his car.
Although Rahman claimed she was going to a medical appointment, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused her of being an agitator who “ignored multiple orders from an officer to move her vehicle away from the scene.”
In a social media post on February 6, ICE Said“As shown in our video, Alia Rehman clearly had enough space to move herself and her vehicle out of the way. Officers also moved away from her vehicle, thinking she was going to leave the scene. Instead, she remained at the location, obstructing our officers and finding out the hard way.”
According to the New America website, Rahman worked with the group’s “Open Technology Institute on body-worn camera policy and workforce development around community fiber expansion.”
“Alia previously worked as Program Director at Code for Progress, where she led the recruitment, residency training, and job placement of community organizers of color into full-time developer positions,” the site reads. “She is also the former field director of Equality Ohio, where she created a statewide field program focused on bridging the gap between racial justice organizers, LGBT rights groups, and labor.”
According to its website, active funding for New America comes from the Open Society Foundations, the Ford Foundation, the Gates Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation, among other sources.
