Ilhan Omar and Minnesota Delegation Choose High-Profile Guests for State of the Union to Spotlight ICE, Violence and Tariffs

The Minnesota congressional delegation has assembled a slate of guests for President Trump’s State of the Union that signals clear political statements, and ilhan omar is among those using her guest list to highlight the federal immigration crackdown. The guest selections put personal stories and local controversies front and center on Tuesday night — underscoring competing messages about enforcement, alleged fraud, economic pain and political violence.

Ilhan Omar's guests spotlight ICE operations in Minnesota

Ilhan Omar is bringing four people who are described as reflecting the effects of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Those four include:

• Aliya Rahman, who was detained after being pulled from her car while driving to a doctor’s appointment; she has said she has a disability and has testified about lasting physical effects and the conditions she encountered at a federal building in Minneapolis.
• Mary Granlund, chair of the Columbia Heights Public School Board; the district drew attention after a 5-year-old and his father were detained outside their home near an elementary school.
• Mubashir Hussen, a 20-year-old U. S. citizen who says he was violently detained during his lunch break in a Minneapolis neighborhood and is among those suing the administration over alleged racial profiling and arrests without warrants.
• Gerardo Orozco Guzman, who works with a center organizing against ICE detention of construction workers; his father was detained in early January and is being held at a correctional facility in New Mexico.

By bringing these guests, ilhan omar and allies are making the State of the Union a platform for personal accounts of enforcement actions and their local impact. These selections emphasize concerns about tactics used during enforcement and the human consequences cited by community leaders and the people directly affected.

Minnesota delegation's guests map political divides

The rest of the Minnesota delegation is also using guest selections to underscore distinct policy messages. One member is bringing Colin Hortman, the son of late state House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who will attend with a fellow member; another member is bringing Hortman’s wife, Alina Bachman Hortman. Melissa and her husband were shot and killed in their home in Brooklyn Park last June, an attack described by prosecutors as politically motivated.

Other guests reflect different priorities across the delegation. One Republican member is bringing conservative content creators who produced a viral video accusing several Somali-owned day care centers of fraud; that video preceded a major federal enforcement deployment to the state intended to address fraud and undocumented immigration. Officials later characterized that deployment as winding down, and federal authorities have not provided updates on the issue of day care fraud.

Economic concerns are also represented: a senator from Minnesota will bring a small business owner affected by tariffs to highlight the local impact of trade policy, while another member is showcasing law enforcement and local leaders to emphasize tax and economic policy gains tied to recent legislation.

Boycott, counter-events and what to watch

Not all members will attend the speech. One senior member of the delegation announced a boycott and will attend an alternative event on the National Mall with a local school superintendent who has criticized the federal immigration crackdown and its effects on schools and communities.

The guest list from Minnesota illustrates how State of the Union invitations are being used as visual messaging: personal stories about enforcement, victims of political violence, economic pain from tariffs, and partisan rebuttals are all present in the seats reserved for congressional guests. With ilhan omar’s delegation choices and the varied selections from other members, Minnesota’s presence at the address will telegraph multiple competing narratives about the state’s recent controversies and priorities.

Expect these guests to draw attention to their respective issues during and after the address; details may continue to evolve as attendees and lawmakers amplify their messages in the hours that follow.