Alpha News has learned well-known Somali activist Omar Jamal was arrested this morning by ICE agents in Minneapolis.
The arrest was captured on camera by Newsmax crews who were with ICE agents at the time.
https://t.co/nZkBEj3GGi pic.twitter.com/NRiKZfNxDW
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 29, 2025
Jamal appears to be removed from a vehicle and arrested in the video.
Alpha News has been told the arrest is related to immigration fraud.
According to court documents, charges were first leveled against Jamal in 2001 for making multiple false statements related to his immigration status.
In 2006, he was sentenced to one year of probation and “referred to United States Citizenship and Immigration Service for deportation” for those false claims.
Jamal appears to have arrived in Canada in 1989 from Somalia.
Alpha News confirmed Jamal is currently employed by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office.
In a statement, spokesperson Steve Linders said:
“Omar Jamal joined the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office as a civilian Community Service Officer in 2020, after living in America for over 20 years. He came to America as a refugee from famine-stricken and war-torn Somalia. Omar Jamal has played an integral role in helping us liaison with the Somali community in Minnesota, which has the largest population of Somalis in the country. He’s done a great job in that role.”
Sam Olson is the field office director for ICE St Paul. He referred to Jamal as a Somali national in the interview with Newsmax and said he will be “set up for removal from the United States” as per protocol.
Liz Collin
Liz Collin is a multi-Emmy-Award-winning investigative reporter, news anchor, and producer who cares about Minnesota. She is the producer of The Fall of Minneapolis and Minnesota v We the People documentary films, and author of the Amazon best-selling book, They’re Lying: The Media, the Left, and The Death of George Floyd. Her work has prompted important state laws. Yet perhaps most of all, Liz has been giving a voice to the truth—and helping others tell their stories—for more than 20 years.
