L-R: Rep. Andy Ogles; Rep. Shri Thanedar / Courtesy: X/@RepOgles; File photo
Congressman Shri Thanedar introduced a resolution on March 12 to formally censure Rep. Andy Ogles for repeated Islamophobic statements.
The resolution also aims to remove him from his position on the House Committee on Homeland Security.
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The measure directly responds to Ogles' recent social media posts, where he declared that Muslims are incompatible with American society. Thanedar described the comments as inciting hatred against millions of Muslim Americans and violating core constitutional principles of religious freedom.
Ogles earlier posted on X that “Muslims don't belong in American society” and asserted, “Pluralism is a lie.” In a follow-up message, he claimed, “Muslims are unable to assimilate; they all have to go back.”
The resolution also references Ogles' appearance on a podcast, where he suggested Muslims will “breed their way through our society.” It further accuses him of a pattern of using official social media accounts to spread Islamophobic, racist, and anti-immigrant rhetoric, including calls for the denaturalization and deportation of Muslim elected officials based solely on their religion and background.
Thanedar emphasized the severity of such conduct, particularly given Ogles' committee assignment. The resolution argues that Ogles' predisposition to discriminate against immigrants and minorities raises serious concerns about his suitability to serve on the Homeland Security Committee.
“Congressman Ogles' disgusting and bigoted words have no place anywhere in our country, let alone from a member of Congress,” Thanedar said in an official statement.
He added that the remarks disrespect the values of freedom of religion upon which the country was founded and are fundamentally un-American. Thanedar urged colleagues to support the measure as a stand against bigotry and hatred.
This is not the first time Thanedar has targeted Ogles over similar rhetoric. In June 2025, following Ogles' repeated references to Zohran Mamdani as “Little Muhammad” and calls for his deportation and denaturalization after Mamdani's success in a New York City Democratic mayoral primary, Thanedar introduced the first censure resolution.
The current resolution, referred to the House Committee on Ethics, includes specific actions in its resolved clauses: it calls for Ogles to be censured, to present himself in the well of the House for the pronouncement of censure to be read publicly by the Speaker, and to be immediately removed from the Committee on Homeland Security.
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