Agents search Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home in criminal probe

Federal agents searched the Washington-area home of Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar on Monday, Oct. 12, under a judicially authorized warrant, the U.S. Justice Department said, calling it part of an ongoing criminal investigation.

The search came three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, and no charges have been announced. Omar, who has represented Minnesota’s 5th District, which includes Minneapolis, since 2019, called the search an attempt to target political opponents.

The Justice Department said agents from Homeland Security Investigations, part of the Department of Homeland Security, “executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the department in the Washington, D.C., area,” according to The Associated Press report carried by PBS NewsHour. The department said: “This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.” It gave no other details and did not say what the investigation concerns.

The AP said two people familiar with the matter identified the agents as Homeland Security Investigations personnel. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson referred questions to the Justice Department, the AP reported. The wire service said the street was blocked off Monday morning.

Omar confirmed the search on social media. “Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement,” she said, according to Minnesota Public Radio. She added: “This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation.” Al Jazeera reported she also said she “will not be silenced.” Her office said she “has done nothing wrong,” Al Jazeera reported.

Al Jazeera reported that House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar issued a joint statement calling the search “deeply disturbing.” It also reported that President Donald Trump told reporters hours later that he had “nothing to do” with it and that it was “really up to the DOJ.” Those two items rest on Al Jazeera’s account; Canada News Media did not find them in the AP report.

The search follows months of public claims by administration figures about Omar. Vice-President JD Vance said in an interview with podcaster Benny Johnson that “we actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America,” the AP reported. The AP said he offered no evidence and that he and deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller had discussed “trying to look at what the remedies are.”

In May, Vance said: “It certainly seems like something fishy is there, but everybody’s entitled to equal justice under the laws,” according to the AP. Omar has called the allegations “disgusting lies,” and her chief of staff, Connor McNutt, dismissed Vance’s claims in March as fabricated and defamatory, the AP said.

It is not known whether the warrant relates to those claims. The Justice Department has not said so, and no court filing describing the warrant has been made public. Search warrants are issued by a judge on a showing of probable cause, and a search does not itself mean a person will be charged.

Omar is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Somalia. She was first elected in 2018 and is a frequent target of criticism from Trump and other Republicans, the AP noted. Al Jazeera reported that a Minnesota man was sentenced last month to 14 months in prison for spraying her with vinegar at a January town hall.

It is unclear what happens next. Federal prosecutors have not announced charges or a timeline, and Omar’s office has not said whether it will challenge the warrant in court. Canada News Media will update this story if the Justice Department or the court releases further information.

Via The Associated Press (PBS NewsHour), Minnesota Public Radio and Al Jazeera.

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