Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Democrat, is calling for a full investigation after her guest, Minneapolis software engineer Aliya Rahman, was forcibly removed from the House gallery and arrested during President Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night.
Ms. Rahman, 43, a Bangladeshi-American and U.S. citizen with autism and a traumatic brain injury, faces a charge of unlawful conduct and disruption of Congress — a misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to six months in prison and a $500 fine, according to Time.
U.S. Capitol Police said that at approximately 10:07 p.m., Ms. Rahman “started demonstrating” in the House gallery and was told to sit down but “refused to obey our lawful orders.” The department said all State of the Union tickets “clearly explain that demonstrating is prohibited.”
Ms. Rahman disputes that characterization. Speaking to Democracy Now! after her release, she said she was standing silently with her arms at her sides, wearing no protest gear, carrying no sign and making no gestures. She said the sergeant-at-arms told her she was removed for “standing up silently.”
“There are only two things you can do at the State of the Union, and they are sit down and stand up,” Ms. Rahman said. “I was arrested for standing up.”
NBC News reported that the crowd around Ms. Rahman gave a standing ovation during part of her interaction with Capitol Police officers, which Ms. Rahman cited as a reason she should not be forced to leave. When officers began pulling her toward the exit, another gallery attendee intervened and called on police to be less aggressive.
The arrest was particularly contentious given Ms. Rahman’s preexisting shoulder injuries. She told Democracy Now! that she has a torn rotator cuff and cartilage tears in both shoulders — injuries she says were sustained in January when federal immigration agents dragged her from her vehicle in Minneapolis while she was en route to a doctor’s appointment. During Tuesday’s removal, she said officers continued pulling on her arms after she warned them of those injuries, until a sergeant intervened and called for a wheelchair.
Ms. Rahman was transported to George Washington University Hospital for treatment before being booked at Capitol Police headquarters. She was released early Wednesday morning, according to the Minnesota Reformer.
Ms. Omar released a statement condemning the arrest. “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 ’Unlawful Conduct,’” Ms. Omar wrote. “The heavy-handed response to a peaceful guest sends a chilling message about the state of our democracy.”
Alexa Van Brunt, an attorney with the MacArthur Justice Center representing Ms. Rahman, called the arrest a “blatant abuse of power.” “There is nothing unlawful about standing in silence,” Ms. Van Brunt said in a statement to the Reformer. “She was not disruptive or disrespectful. She was not holding a sign, making gestures, or wearing protest gear. She was simply standing in silence.”
Ms. Rahman first gained national attention in January after video of federal immigration agents dragging her from her car in Minneapolis went viral. The incident occurred during “Operation Metro Surge,” a Trump administration enforcement operation in the city. Ms. Rahman later testified before Congress about the encounter. Border Czar Tom Homan announced the conclusion of that operation earlier this month, citing improved cooperation from local law enforcement.
Ms. Omar invited Ms. Rahman to the State of the Union in part because of that earlier encounter with federal agents. Ms. Rahman told The Guardian she attended with no intention of disrupting the speech, describing the event as an opportunity to better understand the political process.
Ms. Rahman’s arrest was not the only confrontation during Tuesday’s address. The Hill reported that Rep. Al Green of Texas was also escorted from the chamber, and Ms. Omar herself was heard shouting at Mr. Trump during his remarks about Minnesota’s Somali community. When Mr. Trump made those comments, Ms. Omar yelled “Liar,” and later called out “You’ve killed Americans” during his immigration remarks, prompting Mr. Trump to respond directly to her from the podium.
Capitol Police did not immediately respond to questions about Ms. Rahman’s specific account of events.
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
