Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations searched the Washington, D.C.-area home of US Representative Ilhan Omar early on Monday morning as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation, the Department of Justice has confirmed.
A Department of Justice spokesperson stated: “Today in the Washington, D.C. area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice. This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.” The statement provided no further details on the nature of the inquiry.
Multiple outlets, including the Associated Press, CNN, NBC News, and The Guardian, reported the search at the Minnesota Democrat’s residence. It was first reported by Fox News, which published video appearing to show agents in HSI jackets at the property. The street was blocked off during the operation.
Sources familiar with the matter told Fox News and other outlets that the search forms part of a criminal fraud investigation into immigration paperwork completed by Omar’s late father when she was a child. Omar arrived in the United States as a refugee from Somalia around 1995, when she was approximately 12 years old, and later became a naturalised citizen.
The development follows months of public statements by Trump administration officials alleging immigration-related irregularities. Border czar Tom Homan confirmed last month that Omar was under criminal investigation, stating that “no one’s above the law” regarding potential immigration violations or marriage fraud, while declining to provide specifics. Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin have also referred to an ongoing probe, with some officials repeating long-standing claims that Omar married her brother to obtain immigration benefits.
Omar has repeatedly denied these allegations, describing them as “disgusting lies” and “fabricated” claims. She and her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi (a British citizen), divorced in 2017 after an earlier separation. No public evidence has been presented to substantiate the brother-marriage claim.
Omar’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from multiple news organisations on Monday. The search comes roughly three weeks before the midterm elections, in which Omar is seeking re-election.
President Donald Trump has frequently criticised Omar since her election in 2018 as one of the first Muslim women in Congress. At a rally over the weekend he attacked her by name and remarked “let’s see what happens,” while noting that administration officials were examining the matter. He has previously suggested she should be denaturalised or removed from the country.
The Justice Department’s confirmation establishes only that a court-authorised search occurred as part of a criminal investigation. The precise allegations under examination, any evidence gathered, and whether charges will follow remain unconfirmed at this stage.
By A.Ikechukwu
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