Ilhan Omar’s SOTU Guest Gets Arrested During Speech

One of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s hand-picked guests at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address was arrested Tuesday night after disrupting the speech from the House gallery, according to U.S. Capitol Police.

Aliya Rahman, a 43-year-old Minneapolis resident, was taken into custody after she “started demonstrating” during the address and refused repeated orders to sit down.

“All State of the Union tickets clearly explain that demonstrating is prohibited. At approximately 10:07 p.m., a person in the House Gallery started demonstrating during tonight’s State of the Union Address. The guest was told to sit down, but refused to obey our lawful orders.

“It is illegal to disrupt the Congress and demonstrate in the Congressional Buildings, so 43-year-old Aliya M. Rahman of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was arrested for D.C. Code §10-503.16—Unlawful Conduct, Disruption of Congress,” Capitol Police said in a statement.

Rahman was issued a citation release, which police described as routine.

Aliya Rahman, who was forcibly removed from her car by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is removed from the chamber during U.S. President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. Photo by @SmileItsNathan and in Minnesota by Tim Evans pic.twitter.com/XZevmMCTex

— corinne_perkins (@corinne_perkins) February 25, 2026

Omar had invited Rahman as one of four Minnesotans attending the speech. The Minnesota Democrat has sharply criticized Trump’s immigration enforcement policies and described Rahman as someone seeking accountability for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Rahman previously made headlines in January after she was detained by ICE officers in Minneapolis. Federal officials said at the time that she ignored multiple commands to move her vehicle away from an active enforcement scene and was interfering with agents. According to authorities, she was arrested after repeatedly refusing to comply and engaging in conduct they characterized as obstructive.

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Rahman and her attorney have disputed that account, saying she was treated unfairly. In a statement to Newsweek following Tuesday’s arrest, her attorney, Alexa Van Brunt, said:

“Aliya Rahman was targeted at the State of the Union last night. After standing up in silence during the speech, Aliya was quickly taken away and arrested for ‘unlawful conduct’ and released just before 4 a.m. today. There is nothing unlawful about standing in silence and this is a blatant abuse of power. She was not disruptive or disrespectful. She was not holding a sign, making gestures, or wearing protest gear. She was simply standing in silence.”

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Capitol Police, however, made clear that demonstrating of any kind is prohibited inside the chamber during a joint session of Congress, regardless of whether it is silent or vocal.

Rahman previously told MS Now that attending the State of the Union felt necessary.

“I almost don’t feel like it was a choice,” she said.

“I’m just so painfully aware that what happened to me is a very common experience in this country, except for the part where I got out and I got to come back to my community.

“Honestly, the emotional toll of it is the reason that I think it’s still important to come be in front of people who are happy this happened to me or think I deserve worse.”

The arrest came as Trump used the address to double down on border security and immigration enforcement. For critics of Omar’s guest selection, the disruption reinforced the argument that political protest does not override the rules of Congress — especially during one of the most solemn proceedings of the year.

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