Bag checks, metal detectors highlight ‘new reality’ for lawmakers

Dozens of people filing into Elim Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale for a town hall with U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar on Saturday found a new level of security.

Guards welcomed guests before using wooden rods to search their bags for weapons. Other guards waved metal wands to find potential guns, and plainclothes security hugged the walls near the church’s stained-glass windows to watch people enter.

It’s part of responding to “a new reality” of political violence plaguing Omar and others at the local and national levels, and some worry it could have a chilling effect on how lawmakers connect with their constituents.

In the town hall on Saturday, Omar and attendees talked about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Gaza, gun violence and the federal raid on Lake Street in Minneapolis. Robbinsdale police officers stationed in squad cars outside the building watched the perimeter.

“It’s good in the sense we’re taking it seriously. It’s bad in the sense that we want to be as accessible to the public as possible,” said Rep. Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley. “Since Minnesota’s been ground zero for this going back to June, unfortunately we’ve had to deal with this a little sooner than other places.”

Omar is no stranger to death threats, receiving scores of them since taking office in 2019. But she says recent violence, such as the assassinations of Kirk, Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, may deter people from running for office.

“There was this constant fear that the unthinkable would happen to me. I’ve had multiple people serve time. Some people still waiting for sentencing who have threatened to kill me and my children,” Omar said. ”This is a new reality for some of my colleagues and elected officials and public servants across the country, but it’s been my reality since I went to Washington.”

The United States Capitol Police investigate thousands of threats against members of Congress and their families and staff. The agency investigated a record of 9,625 threat-assessment cases in 2021, and reviewed 9,474 last year.

This year could be even higher. “Our agents are on track to work through roughly 14,000 Threat Assessment Cases by the end of the 2025,” said USCP.

And Uyen Vong, public affairs director with the National Conference of State Legislatures, said NCSL staffers are speaking with many legislators who are enhancing security in their capitols and districts.

“They are also reviewing safety and security plans in coordination with their respective capitol police, state police and other law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of their members,” Vong added.

Over time, researchers at the Brennan Center for Justice say that such intimidation can threaten democracy by isolating lawmakers and making many unwilling to continue the work. Calling out violent and harassing rhetoric, the research concluded, is one of the most important ways to stop it.

Years ago, the GOP advised members of Congress to stop hosting town halls due to security concerns for hostile crowds. U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer was among Republicans who hosted virtual town halls this year, and hecklers shut down a public meeting between U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad and officials in Olmsted County.

The Minnesota Republican Party was unavailable for comment, but state GOP Chair Alex Plechash issued a statement Friday condemning statements against political opponents.

“Stop dehumanizing political opponents. Republicans and their leaders are not ‘things.’ We are Minnesotans, neighbors, and fellow citizens,” Plechash said. “Politics should be a war of ideas — not a war of violence. Charlie Kirk’s legacy reminds us of a better way. He was willing to dialogue with anyone, especially those who disagreed with him. Let’s honor that by rejecting rhetoric that incites violence and recommitting to honest debate."

Omar admits that sometimes no amount of security can help.