Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has said her son was stopped by immigration agents in Minnesota and asked to provide proof of citizenship.
US President Donald Trump has targeted the large Somali population in Minnesota in recent weeks, claiming many have engaged in fraud and other crimes. He has described Somali immigrants as "garbage”.
“Yesterday, after he made a stop at Target, he did get pulled over by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents,” Ms Omar told WCCO-TV on Sunday, saying her son was born in the US. “Once he was able to produce his passport ID, they did let him go.”
She added that ICE agents had entered a mosque where her son was praying.
Ms Omar immigrated to the US when she was 12, fleeing the civil war in Somalia. She accused immigration agents of racially profiling the Somali-American community.
“They are looking for young men who look Somali that they think are undocumented,” she said.
The Democratic congresswoman announced last week two inquiries into the administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota against the Somali community.
In an op-ed for MS NOW on Saturday, Ms Omar wrote that “the purpose of Trump’s immigration agenda: to make black and brown Americans, permanent residents, documented workers, international students, tourists and refugees all feel like they do not
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