(WatchDogReport.org) – The daughter of Democratic Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar has reportedly claimed to be homeless and unable to get food after having been suspended by the prestigious Barnard College.
Isra Hirsi, 21, along with several other Barnard students, was arrested on April 18 after they joined over 100 anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University’s campus. The students were arrested when they refused to clear out a tent encampment on the university’s campus. Hirsi told Teen Vogue that she felt “frantic” after being evicted from campus accommodation and barred from using its dining hall.
Omar has expressed her support for her daughter and the other protesters, reiterating her claims that the Israeli regime has been committing genocide in the Gaza region and stating that she was glad to see this level of solidarity among pro-Palestine activists. Omar said she is “enormously proud” of her daughter, who took pride in being “hyper woke.”
The activist said in a 2020 Ted Talk that she was always combating what was offensive and “problematic.” One of the more progressive Democrats, Omar, has continued to press Biden to arrange a ceasefire in Gaza and end the “massacre.” Omar is no stranger to controversy herself; however, as in January 2024, the Somalian American was accused of displaying ethno-nationalist rhetoric regarding the breakaway region of Somaliland.
Hirsi clarified that she had not been formally evicted, but that she could not get back into her accommodations. Though she referred to herself as temporarily “houseless” rather than strictly homeless, Hirsi’s comments were soon picked up on by conservative commentators.
A former Republican congressional candidate in Texas, Burt Thakur, slated Hirsi on X and highlighted the high tuition fees at the university as proof that she did not need to worry about homelessness. Thakur painted Hirsi as a rich person who was “cosplaying as poor” for attention.
Barnard administrators began warning students the day before the arrest that they risked suspension if they did not clear out. The activist criticized the college for having a tougher stance than Columbia University, claiming that only Barnard students faced eviction. Hirsi stated that she was zip-tied for seven hours and released after eight, commenting that there were so many protesters in their group who were “born female” that there was not enough space for them in the cells.
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