United States federal agents searched the Washington, DC, area home of Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar on Monday, carrying out a warrant authorised by a court in an ongoing criminal investigation, according to authorities and news reports. Omar, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, condemned the search and accused the administration of using federal law enforcement against political opponents.
Search tied to immigration fraud allegations, report says
Agents from Homeland Security Investigations carried out the search early Monday morning, The Associated Press reported, citing two people familiar with the matter. The Justice Department confirmed that agents had executed a warrant authorised by a court but did not identify Omar or provide details about the investigation.
Fox News reported, citing unidentified sources, that the search was connected to allegations of immigration fraud involving paperwork submitted by Omar’s late father when she was a child. No charges have been announced.
Omar says she will not be silenced
In a social media post on Monday, Omar said: “I’m ok. Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement.”
She also wrote: “For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation.”
“I will not be silenced,” she added.
A frequent target of Trump’s criticism
Omar was born in Somalia, came to the United States as a child refugee and later became a naturalised citizen. She represents a district in Minnesota that includes Minneapolis.
She has long been a target of Trump’s political attacks, especially over immigration. In September, Trump’s border security chief Tom Holman said Omar was the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation, without providing other details. Omar said at the time that she had not been contacted by Homeland Security and dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
Vice President JD Vance has also accused Omar of immigration fraud without providing evidence. In an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, Vance said he and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller had talked about how to investigate her.
“How do you go after her? How do you investigate her? How do you actually do the thing?” Vance asked as he mused about building a case.
Omar’s office dismissed Vance’s allegations as “fabricated and defamatory” in March. There was no immediate public response from Omar to Monday’s search, though she addressed it in a social media post.
Search comes before midterm elections
The search comes just over three weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, when Republicans will be fighting to retain control of Congress.
Omar has said she and her family have faced death threats because of Trump’s rhetoric, and she has called his fixation on her “creepy.”
In December, the president called the congresswoman and other Somali immigrants “garbage.” In February, he said Omar and Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, both Muslims and members of the progressive group known as “The Squad,” should be “institutionalised” and sent back to “where they came from” after they criticized his State of the Union address.
Last month, a Minnesota man was sentenced to 14 months in prison for spraying Omar with vinegar during a January town hall meeting, at the height of Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. During that period, she had called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
No charges have been announced, and the Justice Department did not identify Omar or provide details about the investigation. The search comes as Omar remains a frequent target of Trump’s criticism and as the midterm elections approach.
