Minneapolis Karmel Mall: Rep. Omar's Post-Raid Lunch Amidst Somali Business Hub

Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota visited the Karmel Mall of Somalia in Minneapolis on Friday, marking her first public appearance since federal agents raided her Washington, D.C., home on Oct. 12. The four-floor building, which its owner describes as the largest Somali mall in the world, features 900 individual vendor units rather than traditional brand-name stores.

Omar joined State Attorney General Keith Ellison for lunch in the mall's dining area. The space is decorated with Somali, Palestinian, and American flags displayed at the same height. Security guards surrounded the pair during the meal, which followed their early voting at a nearby polling station.

The mall's layout resembles a storage facility, with shop owners lifting metal garage doors to signal their arrival. Basim Sabri, the mall's owner, granted access to the building for the visit. Sabri, who is of Gaza birth, stated that the complex also serves as the largest mall in the city of Minneapolis. He noted that the space acts as an incubator for businesses that eventually expand to larger locations.

Vendors in the complex sell traditional Somali foods such as sambusas and bijaye, alongside prepaid SIM cards and money transfer services for East Africa. Travel agencies and clothiers also operate within the building. English serves as a secondary language in the space, with many interactions conducted in Somali.

Sources familiar with the criminal investigation into the congresswoman identified her birth name as Ilhan Nur Said Elmia. Patrons greeted Omar and posed for photographs with her during the visit. Sabri, who knew Omar's late father, engaged in a brief conversation with Ellison and Omar during the luncheon.

Sabri has a history with local politics and law enforcement. He banned Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey from the premises in February 2024 after the mayor vetoed a ceasefire resolution. Sabri was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison in 2005 for bribing a local official. He later described his time in incarceration, including a stay at a facility in Kansas, as a period of learning.

The owner maintains that the mall demonstrates the integration and prosperity of his tenants. He described the community as intelligent and hard-working, while acknowledging the presence of fraud scandals that have affected the Somali population in Minnesota. Sabri owns several apartment complexes near the mall, which are occupied primarily by Somali residents.

Sabri sends his son to a private secondary school in Switzerland with an annual cost of approximately $184,000. He characterized the mall as evidence of the American dream, inviting outsiders to observe the businesses operating within the space.