Another flashpoint erupted following President Trump’s State of the Union address — this time involving Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and one of her invited guests.
Omar brought 43-year-old Minneapolis activist Aliya Rahman to the speech as her personal guest. Rahman previously drew national attention in January after she was arrested during immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, an incident that circulated widely on social media.
During Tuesday night’s address, Rahman stood up in the House gallery while the president was speaking. According to Omar, the action was silent and brief. Capitol Police, however, moved to remove her from the chamber. She was subsequently arrested and charged with “Unlawful Conduct.”
My guest, Aliya Rahman, stood up silently in the gallery during the president’s speech for a short period of time, part of which other guests were also standing. For that, she was forcibly removed, despite warning officers about her injured shoulders and ultimately charged with…
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) February 25, 2026
Omar quickly condemned the response. In a social media post, she said Rahman “stood up silently in the gallery during the president’s speech for a short period of time, part of which other guests were also standing.” She added that Rahman warned officers about prior shoulder injuries before being “forcibly removed.”
“The heavy-handed response to a peaceful guest sends a chilling message about the state of our democracy,” Omar wrote, calling for a “full explanation” of the arrest.
Capitol Police offered one. In a statement provided to The New York Times, authorities noted that all State of the Union tickets clearly state that demonstrating is prohibited. Officers reportedly instructed Rahman to sit down. When she refused to comply with what police described as lawful orders, she was removed.
Woman in Minneapolis refuses to comply with federal law enforcement and instead starts driving down a street where an ICE raid was happening and riots were going on.
So she was removed from her car and detained.
Comply with law enforcement.
It’s easy.pic.twitter.com/vq5VlLVudA
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) January 13, 2026
The incident added to an already tense evening for Omar, who had several public exchanges during the president’s speech. Rahman’s arrest quickly became another focal point.
Rahman later appeared on Democracy Now! to explain her actions, saying she stood after hearing what she described as offensive remarks about Minnesota and immigration enforcement. She characterized her protest as a reaction to rhetoric she found unacceptable.
This is not Rahman’s first confrontation with law enforcement. In January, she was arrested after blocking ICE vehicles during operations in Minnesota. According to reports from that incident, officers instructed her multiple times to move before removing her from her vehicle. Rahman later stated that fear and past trauma contributed to her response at the time.
Omar, meanwhile, continues pressing for additional details about the arrest, framing it as a question of proportionality and free expression.
