Minneapolis: Rep. Omar returns to Karmel Mall after D.C. home raid
The congresswoman dined with state officials at the four-story complex, which houses 900 vendors and serves as a hub for the local Somali community.
By Aminata Patterson ·
Rep. Ilhan Omar reappeared in public on Friday at a Minneapolis shopping center.
The Minnesota Democrat spent a portion of the day at the Karmel Mall of Somalia. This marked her first sighting since federal agents raided her Washington, D.C. residence on October 12.
The four-story structure differs from typical American malls. It contains 900 individual vendor units rather than large department stores. Shop owners lift metal garage doors to signal they are open, and operating hours appear flexible.
Omar ate lunch in the mall’s dining area with State Attorney General Keith Ellison and other community members. The space features flags from Somalia, Palestine, and the United States. Somali cafes served traditional dishes such as sambusas and fried cornmeal. While many patrons ate with their hands, Omar and her companions used forks.
Patrons greeted the congresswoman with smiles. She stopped to chat with several individuals and posed for photographs. Security guards surrounded Omar and Ellison throughout the visit.
Basim Sabri, the mall’s owner, granted media access to the site. Sabri described the location as the largest Somali mall in the world and the largest in Minneapolis. He noted that the complex functions as an incubator for small businesses. Many tenants start in these units and later expand to larger spaces.
The mall also hosts stores selling prepaid SIM cards and money transfer services. Travel agencies offer flights to the Middle East and East Africa. Elderly men in traditional white caps often sit in metal chairs along the open walls.
Sabri, who has lived in the United States since studying in Minneapolis, called the Somali community intelligent and hard-working. He said the mall demonstrates how foreign-born residents integrate and prosper. Sabri previously served a 33-month federal prison sentence in 2005 for bribing a local official. He also arranged a media interview with City Council Vice President Jamal Osman.
Omar and Sabri posed for a group photo with Ellison and an unidentified man after the meal. The two men shared a brief conversation during the midday visit.
Source: Fox News
