A former Department of Justice attorney who told a federal judge last year, "This job sucks" during an immigration enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis announced Thursday that she will challenge Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., in the Democrat primary.
Julie T. Le said on her campaign website that she will focus on immigration reform, education funding, and healthcare access. Her website called the U.S. immigration system "outdated and inefficient, creating [a] humanitarian crisis."
Le will challenge Omar in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, which Omar has held since 2019.
The district covers eastern Hennepin County, including the entire city of Minneapolis, along with parts of Anoka and Ramsey counties. The Democrat primary in Minnesota is scheduled for Aug. 11.
Omar defeated Don Samuels by 13.3 percentage points in the 2024 Democrat primary after narrowly beating him 50.3% to 48.2% in the 2022 primary. She has defeated Republican opponents by wide margins in the general election.
The district has not elected a Republican since 1960.
In February 2025, Le made national headlines for an outburst before U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell, who was demanding answers about why the federal government missed deadlines to release five illegal aliens from custody.
Le, who was working for the U.S. attorney's office in Minneapolis, said she and her co-workers were working around the clock to address a wave of immigration cases filed in Minnesota after the launch of Operation Metro Surge.
"What do you want me to do?" Le asked, according to a court transcript.
"The system sucks. This job sucks," she added.
Le said she had "stupidly" volunteered to join the U.S. attorney's office, adding that she started on Jan. 5, 2025, to help handle petitions challenging immigrant detentions.
"Sometimes, I wish you would just hold me in contempt, your honor, so that I can have [a] full 24 hours of sleep," she said.
Le emphasized that she shared Blackwell's concerns about how immigration cases were being handled, adding, "I am not white, as you can see. And my family is at risk as any other people that might get picked up too, so I share the same concern, and I took that concern to heart."
The Trump administration removed Le from her post following the remarks.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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