Federal agents searched the Washington DC residence of Representative Ilhan Omar on Monday morning as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation, according to the Department of Justice. A spokesperson for the department confirmed that the enforcement action involved Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and was conducted under a judicially authorized search warrant. Footage captured by Fox News showed individuals wearing HSI-branded jackets at the congresswoman's property.
The search comes just three weeks before the midterm elections, a timing that is likely to invite renewed criticism regarding the use of government resources for political ends during the Trump presidency. While the congresswoman has consistently denied various allegations leveled against her, President Trump and his allies have frequently targeted her with claims of immigration fraud and calls for her expulsion from the country. Omar, who was elected in 2019 alongside Representative Rashida Tlaib as one of the first Muslim women in Congress, has faced years of scrutiny and personal attacks from the president.
Recent weeks have seen administration officials signal that an investigation was underway. At a rally on Saturday, Trump mentioned that he and Vice-President JD Vance were looking into the matter. Tom Homan, the administration’s “border czar,” recently stated that officials were reviewing records and that an HSI fraud investigator was examining the situation. In March, Vance alleged in a media interview that Omar had committed immigration fraud and noted that he had spoken with top aide Stephen Miller regarding potential remedies. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also claimed last month that an investigation was active, citing unsubstantiated allegations that Omar had married her brother to facilitate his immigration to the United States. Omar has long denied these rumors, noting that she and her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, formally divorced in 2017 following a religious separation.
Further reports have suggested that the administration might pursue a denaturalization process if evidence is found that Omar or her father provided false information on immigration applications. The New York Post last month also quoted an unnamed “top immigration official” who said “the Trump administration could initiate a denaturalization process” against Omar if there is sufficient evidence that she or her father lied on immigration applications. The story noted accusations that Omar was 17 years older than her records suggest. Beyond the legal investigation, Omar has been the subject of frequent rhetoric from the White House. Trump has recently characterized Somalia as a place of “crime and squalor” and suggested that the US Constitution does not apply to the congresswoman, while also referring to Somali-Americans as “garbage.”
“The Somalians should not be allowed to get away with what they are doing,” Trump wrote, urging supporters in the state to “fight back!”
“Let them go back to where they came from and fix it,” he added.
