United States Democratic Congresswoman from Minnesota Ilhan Omar on Monday announced the death of her father due to complications from Covid-19.

In a statement, Omar said Nur Omar Mohamed died on Monday. She gave no additional information.

“No words can describe what he meant to me and all who knew him,” Omar said in her statement. “My family and I ask for your respect and privacy during this time.”

Omar and her father Nur Mohamed came to the US as refugees in 1995 from Somalia during the country’s civil war and eventually settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Omar was elected along with Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib in November 2018 making them among the first two Muslim women to serve in the US Congress.

Since her election in 2018, Omar has been at the forefront of promoting progressive policies, including the defunding and reconstruction of the Minneapolis Police Department.