Rep. Ilhan Omar acknowledged Democrats refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security unless immigration enforcement changes were included, tying her party directly to the ongoing shutdown.
Speaking at a town hall in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota, Omar told constituents that Democrats held firm on a list of demands tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement before agreeing to any spending package.
“As many of you know, Democrats said we are not going to pass the appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security unless they agreed to ten reforms,” Omar said, pointing to proposals such as requiring ICE agents to remove face coverings while operating in communities.
“So far, the Republicans and the president have refused to say ‘yes’ to any of those reforms,” she added, framing the deadlock as a direct result of that standoff.
Ilhan Omar: “Democrats said we are not going to pass the appropriations for DHS…they don’t have the resources to pay for TSA agents…our terror alarm is higher than usual.”pic.twitter.com/sZosXMwLIZ
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) March 31, 2026
The impasse has left major portions of DHS operating without full funding, stretching far beyond immigration agencies.
“Which means the department doesn’t have the resources to be able to pay for not just ICE and CBP, but they don’t have the resources to pay for TSA agents,” Omar continued.
“They don’t have the resources to fund the Coast Guard, to fund our cybersecurity employees,” she added. “In a time when our terror alarm is higher than usual.”
Omar also addressed federal immigration enforcement levels in Minnesota, describing a sharp drop in personnel after lawmakers and community members raised concerns.
“We went from having nearly 4,000 CBP agents and ICE agents in Minnesota to now having less than 400,” she pointed out. “That is still too high when you think about what normally happens.”
She added that typical staffing levels would fall between 150 and 200 agents.
The congresswoman pointed to ongoing oversight efforts tied to past incidents involving federal agents.
🚨 BREAKING: Vice President JD Vance Officially CONFIRMS that Rep. Ilhan Omar Committed Immigration Fraud:
“Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America”
The VP says the White House is going to “go after” Omar for these crimes.
“What… pic.twitter.com/01Kwd3kKMR
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 27, 2026
“We are still tracking where the investigations are on the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti,” she told the crowd. “We are still asking for an independent investigation … to bring justice to our neighbors that we feel were unjustly killed.”
Her remarks came as Vice President J.D. Vance raised allegations that Omar committed immigration fraud, adding a separate layer of controversy.
During an appearance on “The Benny Johnson Show,” Vance said the White House believes Omar engaged in fraud by allegedly marrying her brother to help him enter the United States.
🚨 Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib support TERRORISTS like Hamas🚨 They HATE President Trump and good people like you! ➡️➡️➡️ Take the URGENT Congressional Poll NOW to help REMOVE Ilhan and Rashida for GOOD!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
“We think Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America,” Vance said, adding that officials are reviewing possible legal avenues.
“We’re trying to look at what the remedies are,” he continued. “How do you go after her, how do you investigate her, how do you actually do the thing, how do you build a case necessary to get some justice for the American people?”
The Republic of Somaliland also weighed in, posting online that Omar should face extradition rather than deportation.
“Deportation? Please you’re just sending the princess back to her kingdom,” the account wrote. “Extradition? Say the word …”
The allegations center on claims that Omar married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, who critics say is her brother, after separating from her first husband.
Deportation? Please you’re just sending the princess back to her kingdom.
Extradition? Say the word … https://t.co/nV3uHojqqT— REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND (@RepOfSomaliland) March 28, 2026
Omar has repeatedly rejected those accusations, calling them false and politically motivated.
“He needs serious help,” she wrote on X in response to earlier claims from President Donald Trump. “Since he has no economic policies to tout, he’s resorting to regurgitating bigoted lies instead.”
As the political fight heated up, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries offered a different explanation for the DHS shutdown, placing the blame on Republicans.
Appearing on MSNBC, Jeffries argued that Democrats support funding most of the department but oppose continuing funding for ICE without changes.
“We should fund TSA, fund FEMA, fund the Coast Guard, fund our cybersecurity professionals,” Jeffries said.
“And make sure that there are actually dramatic, bold, meaningful changes to ICE so that ICE is brought back under control.”
He accused the agency of operating in a way he described as “violent and extreme,” arguing that enforcement should be “fair, just, and humane.”
“We need to get the Department of Homeland Security reopened,” Jeffries continued, “in terms of every other part of it that doesn’t relate to Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine.”
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, moved to bypass the standoff altogether by backing a plan to fund immigration enforcement through the budget reconciliation process.
“Unlike Republicans, Democrats want to DEFUND the Police, Border Patrol, and all Immigration Enforcement,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“They want to allow Criminals, the Mentally Insane, and Lunatics from all over the World to come into our Country, totally unvetted and unchecked.”
He said Republicans would move forward without Democratic support, working with congressional leadership to push funding through.
“That’s why we are going forward to fund our incredible ICE Agents and Border Patrol through a process that doesn’t need Radical Left Democrat votes,” Trump posted.
Trump also set a firm deadline for Congress to deliver the legislation. “I am asking that the Bill be on my desk NO LATER than June 1st,” he continued, urging lawmakers to act quickly.
He added that immigration enforcement would continue in the meantime using existing funding.
“Immigration Enforcement will continue, and our Border will remain secure, with no Murderers, Drug Dealers, or Criminals of any kind entering our Country,” Trump penned.
Republican leaders signaled they are moving in that direction. Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune said DHS funding would move forward on two separate tracks — one covering general operations and another focused on immigration enforcement.
“We cannot allow Democrats to any longer put the safety of the American public at risk,” the two leaders commented in a joint statement.
They outlined a plan that would funnel additional funding for border security and immigration enforcement through a reconciliation bill, allowing Republicans to avoid Democratic opposition.
That approach would also prevent Democrats from using future appropriations negotiations to influence immigration policy for the remainder of Trump’s term.
The reconciliation process requires only a simple majority in the Senate, giving Republicans a path to pass the measure without bipartisan support.
