Omar Dines at Minneapolis Somali Mall After DC Raid

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., emerged from a two-week period of public absence on Friday to eat lunch at the Karmel Mall of Somalia. The visit marked her first appearance in the public eye since federal agents raided her Washington, D.C., home on Oct. 12.

The Karmel Mall is a four-story building housing 900 individual vendors. It operates differently from standard American shopping centers. Shop owners lift metal garage doors to open their stores, and strict opening and closing times are not always enforced. The space functions less like a retail destination and more like a commercial storage facility.

Omar dined in the mall's food court area, which displays Somali, Palestinian, and American flags at equal height. The ceiling above the vendors is painted light blue with a white star. She was accompanied by State Attorney General Keith Ellison. The two were surrounded by security guards throughout the meal.

The group voted early at a Minneapolis polling station before heading to the mall. Fox News Digital filmed the visit after gaining access from Basim Sabri, the mall's owner. Sabri, who is of Gaza origin, stated that the Karmel Mall is the largest Somali mall in the world and the largest mall in Minneapolis.

The mall features stores selling prepaid electronic SIM cards, money transfer services, and travel agencies. Traditional Somali clothing and barbershops are also present. English serves as the second language within the complex. Many patrons eat traditional foods such as sambusas and bijaye with their hands, though Omar and her companions used forks during Friday's lunch.

Sabri has a complex relationship with local politics. He banned Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey from the premises in February 2024 after Frey vetoed a ceasefire resolution. Sabri described the mall as an incubator for businesses that eventually grow and move to larger spaces. He noted that many of his tenants are foreign-born and use the mall to integrate into the local economy.

Sabri, who was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison in 2005 for bribing a public official, spoke about the resilience of the Somali community. He acknowledged that fraud scandals have plagued the group in national headlines but maintained that many residents are intelligent and hard-working. He invited outsiders to visit the mall to see the businesses operating within it.

The mall owner is a well-known figure in the neighborhood, often stopping to greet passersby and direct employees. He has connections to local politicians and has arranged interviews for media outlets. Omar was greeted by smiling patrons at the mall, some of whom posed for photographs with her. She and Sabri shared a brief conversation during the meal.