Federal law enforcement agents searched the Washington-area home of Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar early on the morning of the 12th. Fox News reported that the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a court-authorized search warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Sources indicated the investigation might relate to immigration application documents from Omar’s childhood, though the Justice Department has not released specific details, nor is there any indication that Omar has been criminally charged.
Following the search of her home, Omar issued her first response on the afternoon of the 12th, stating that Donald Trump has spent years attacking her with “baseless lies and smears.” She described the operation as the “latest escalation of political intimidation,” emphasizing, “I will not be silenced.”
Omar’s camp also criticized the search as an abuse of government power. As the Justice Department has not yet disclosed the contents of the search warrant or the evidence supporting the allegations, claims that Omar was involved in immigration fraud remain accusations by government officials and have not been established by a court.
According to the Associated Press and Reuters, federal agents searched Omar’s Washington-area residence early on the 12th. A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed that HSI executed a judge-approved search warrant obtained by the department, noting that the action was part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.
The Justice Department did not provide further details regarding the reason for the search, the items seized, or whether Omar herself is the subject of the criminal investigation.
Fox News, citing informed sources, reported that the investigation concerns immigration application documents from Omar’s childhood—materials allegedly filled out by her late father. Reports indicate that federal agents are investigating whether these documents involved fraudulent activity.
However, the Justice Department has not publicly confirmed these allegations or released evidence of any crime.
Omar, 44, was born in Somalia; she fled war-torn conditions with her family as a child before immigrating to the United States. She was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, which encompasses Minneapolis and its surrounding areas.
Omar is one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress and a prominent member of “The Squad,” a group of progressive lawmakers. She has long criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies, leading to numerous public clashes between the two sides.
The search operation did not come without warning. According to Fox News, Tom Homan, the White House official overseeing border affairs, stated in September that Omar was the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation, though no specific details were disclosed at the time.
Omar had previously stated that the Department of Homeland Security had not formally notified her that she was under criminal investigation.
The fact that federal agents directly searched the home of a sitting member of Congress has drawn significant attention to the case. Given that Omar is a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, the question of whether political factors played a role in the investigation is expected to spark controversy.
However, there is currently no public evidence to substantiate claims that the search was motivated by political retaliation, nor does the court-authorized search warrant imply that Omar has committed a crime.