Texas Republican Congressman Brandon Gill has set off a fierce political backlash this week after publicly demanding the deportation of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)—a naturalized U.S. citizen and sitting member of Congress—back to her native Somalia.
On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Gill posted a provocative message:
“America would be a better place if @IlhanMN were deported back to Somalia,”
accompanying a video clip of Omar offering advice to Somali immigrants—some potentially undocumented—on how to understand their rights during interactions with immigration authorities.
The video, originally shared by a conservative media figure, shows Omar explaining that individuals are not required to disclose certain personal information to ICE agents and should seek legal counsel when approached. Omar emphasized the importance of knowing one’s rights and being prepared, especially for vulnerable immigrant communities.
Gill and his supporters accused Omar of actively undermining immigration enforcement and aiding undocumented immigrants in evading deportation. Gill doubled down in a follow-up post, declaring, “We should have never let Ilhan Omar into our country,” despite Omar’s two decades as a naturalized citizen.
A spokesperson for Gill told The Hill that Omar’s actions “raise questions about to whom she is most loyal—the American people or illegal aliens from Somalia.”
Supporters of Gill echoed these sentiments online, labeling Omar “anti-American” and calling for her expulsion from Congress—ignoring constitutional protections and the fact that such demands hold no legal merit.
In response, Rep. Omar dismissed the attacks during an interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan:
“These people are just idiots,” she said bluntly. “It’s really hard to have an intellectual debate with them because the level of stupidity they display is frankly embarrassing… not just in Congress but as Americans.”
Omar criticized the growing acceptance of extreme rhetoric in American politics, describing the current climate as increasingly hostile and intellectually shallow.
Legal experts have emphasized that calls for Omar’s deportation are baseless, given her citizenship status. Many see Gill’s statements as inflammatory and unconstitutional, emblematic of a worrying rise in political hostility and nativist rhetoric.
This controversy underscores the widening partisan divide in Congress and fuels ongoing debates over immigration, free speech, and the responsibilities of elected officials—especially when addressing immigrant communities and their legal rights.