District Work Week Recap: January 27–31

Here’s a look behind the scenes of our district work period this week. I first ran for Congress on the promise of co-governance to ensure every single decision is rooted in community. I’m here to amplify the voices of those on the ground and to ensure our policies and investments align with our communities’ real needs and priorities. I’m proud to champion this approach each and every day.

Monday

We started our district work period at Justice Page Middle School in Minneapolis with Minnesota State Rep. Emma Greenman and Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley. We were so impressed by the students’ thoughtful and informed questions.

Next, I met with Beth Richardson, the Consul General of Canada, to discuss the deep and lasting friendship between the U.S. and Canada. Minnesota’s Fifth District does $600 million of trade with Canada every year — trade which will be devastated by Trump’s tariff proposal that would also increase costs for Minnesotans and the rest of the country.

Then, I had a productive meeting with Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty to discuss how we can ensure the rights of our immigrant communities are protected as they face indiscriminate attacks from the Trump Administration.

And, I hosted my first town hall of the year in Fridley! Thank you to everyone who showed up and participated, and a special thank you to MN State Senator Mary Kunesh, MN State Rep. Erin Koegel, and former Fridley Mayor Scott Lund for joining me — always grateful to have strong, dedicated partners committed to serving our communities.

Tuesday

I joined MN State Reps. Esther Agbaje, Sandra Feist, and Fue Lee in recognizing $1 million in Community Project Funding my office secured for People Serving People in Minneapolis.

The funding will be used to strengthen People Serving People’s Modernization Project for Families Experiencing Homelessness and Disability. It was an honor to hear from the staff at PSP on the incredible work they are doing to support families experiencing homelessness.

Afterwards, I was honored to join Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, City Councilmember Aurin Chowdhury, and members of the Minneapolis City Council to recognize CM Chowdhury’s resolution about my Neighbors Not Enemies Act.

We must repeal the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to ensure no one is targeted based on their nationality.

Then, I was honored to present Congressional Record entries to Former Minnesota State Representative Hodan Hassan for her service to Minnesota communities and the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners for their work to put a functional end to veteran homelessness in the county.

From standing up for Minnesota’s workers to diversifying our teaching workforce, Rep. Hassan has been a legislative force for our communities, and I’m grateful for the work she accomplished for our constituents.

Thank you to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, Veterans Services Staff, and community partners for all their work to ensure that our veterans receive the proper services and care they have earned.

I met with Omites Project President Laurel Igbanugo, from the Minnesota African Women Coalition to discuss how we can ensure they can access the necessary resources to provide African immigrant families in the twin cities with the help they need.

I sat down with Unidos Minnesota to talk about our work ahead to protect our immigrant neighbors. In this moment, it is so clear that we need to build a strong and sustainable movement that respects civil rights and provides meaningful pathways to stable status.

To end the night, I joined the Richfield City Council meeting to provide an update from DC and hear from local leaders and community members about how I can best support Richfield’s priorities through my work in Congress.

I’m honored to represent such a dedicated community and I’ll keep fighting to get them the federal resources and support they need.

Wednesday

One of the best parts of my job is meeting with students across the district!

I started my day with the fifth graders of Sullivan STEAM Magnet School! I was incredibly grateful to talk to them about how we can work to create the positive change they want to see.

I had the pleasure of joining Minnesota State Representatives Cedrick Frazier and Mike Freiberg for a tour of the NEAR Food Shelf in Crystal. NEAR is an incredible community nonprofit that provides emergency food to individuals and their families throughout our community.

I got to learn more about the services the organization provides and how I can best support them at the federal level.

Then, I met with New Hope’s newly-elected Mayor John Elder to discuss ways we can work together to make New Hope an even better place to live and work.

I ended my day at the Minnesota State Capitol for a meeting with Governor Tim Walz!

I had a productive meeting with him to ensure we’re doing everything in our power to protect Minnesota’s communities against the instability brought forth by the Trump Administration.

While I was at the State Capitol, I stopped by to see Attorney General Keith Ellison!

We are so lucky to have the best Attorney General in the country — especially at this pivotal moment fighting back against the chaos and disarray of the Trump Administration.

Just this week, AG Ellison was one of the AGs who won against Trump to continue to fund the government.

Thursday

Minnesota’s labor unions fight tirelessly to ensure our workers get the protections and pay they deserve.

I started my day with a labor roundtable in Minneapolis with the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation to hear directly from union members about how I can support their work best as the Ranking Member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee in the House.

Then, I had the pleasure of meeting with Fridley’s new Mayor, Dave Ostwald, to discuss how we can work together to invest in the city’s infrastructure.

I joined MN State Rep. Sydney Jordan for a visit to Niron Magnetics in Minneapolis where we recognized a tax credit of over $52 million secured through the Inflation Reduction Act. Niron Magnetics will use this tax credit to expand their workforce in Minnesota, creating over 100 union jobs.

I’ll keep working in Congress to expand good-paying job opportunities for Minnesotans and boost our economy.

Friday

I convened community leaders and state and local officials in Minneapolis to emphasize the devastating impact of the Trump Administration’s federal funding freeze on Minnesotans.

This freeze would gut programs that help Minnesota families access nutrition assistance, bring critical medical research and coverage to a standstill, and risk our local and national security.

We will not stand by and let these illegal actions take effect.

I finished off the work week by meeting with Major General Joseph Ricciardi of the US Army Reserves 88th Readiness Division in my district office. We discussed ways we can work to ensure our nation’s servicemembers have access to the benefits and support they deserve.

That’s a wrap!

In Service,

Ilhan Omar