By Leif Le Mahieu. Media: DailyWire.com
Ilhan Omar Blasts ICE Raids During Nashville Town Hall, Calls for Immigration Reform and Demilitarization
ANTIOCH, Tenn. — Progressive Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) strongly criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies on Saturday, claiming that recent ICE raids have sparked global outrage and tarnished the reputation of the United States.
Omar made her remarks during a community town hall at Cane Ridge High School near Nashville, where she also advocated for universal healthcare, reductions in military budgets, and restrictions on how ICE agents operate in the field—specifically, calling for a ban on the use of masks during enforcement operations.
“The reality is when they come from one of us, they’re eventually going to come for all of us,” Omar warned before a crowd of several hundred attendees gathered in the school’s auditorium. “We’re seeing people be abducted and sent to dungeons in foreign countries and people disappearing with no accounting for where they’ve gone.”
Organizers of the event emphasized their disapproval of ICE’s presence by posting a sign at the entrance declaring “ICE NOT PERMITTED ON THE PREMISES” in large capital letters. Additional flyers reading “Nashville stands with Ilhan” were visible throughout the publicly funded high school.
Omar also condemned the recent passage of Trump’s controversial tax and spending bill, branding it the “big ugly bill.” The legislation allocated billions to expand ICE operations and upgrade agency infrastructure, further intensifying partisan divides over immigration enforcement.
She argued that ICE agents should not be allowed to wear face coverings while conducting operations, stating that international audiences are deeply unsettled by the imagery of American officers detaining migrants in masked, militarized fashion.
“When they see these kinds of images coming out of America. To them it is really shocking and it should be to all of us as Americans,” she said. “That is not us.”
The town hall occurred amid growing concerns about violence against immigration officers. The Department of Homeland Security has reported a spike in attacks on ICE personnel, including two recent shootings targeting agents in Texas.
Many local residents attended the rally to express disapproval of both Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) and the Trump administration’s stance on immigration. The event became a platform for broader dissent against current enforcement tactics.
Joy Guss, a staff member at Metro Nashville Public Schools, expressed alarm at the administration’s immigration approach and federal budget reductions pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency. She claimed that recent ICE activity had instilled fear in Latino families and led to noticeable declines in student school attendance.
Julia, a California transplant who moved to Tennessee eight years ago, described herself as “extremely distraught” over the direction of the country under Trump, particularly in relation to immigration workplace raids.
Throughout the event, Omar repeatedly criticized Rep. Ogles, whose district includes the high school. Though the area leans Democratic, Ogles secured re-election in 2024 with nearly 60% of the vote, bolstered by strong support from suburban and rural Republican voters outside of Nashville.
Joining Omar was Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones, a prominent Democratic activist who likened recent ICE operations in the Nashville area to kidnappings, even comparing the agency to the historical actions of the KKK.
However, data released following those May raids painted a more complex picture: of the 196 individuals arrested, 95 had previous criminal convictions or pending charges, and 31 had already been deported in prior years. Charges included serious offenses such as rape and high-level drug crimes.
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