Federal Agents Search Ilhan Omar's Washington Home in Ongoing Criminal Probe
Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a search warrant at the D.C. residence of Representative Ilhan Omar on October 12. The congresswoman called the action political intimidation ahead of midterm elections.
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Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations searched the Washington, D.C., home of Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, early on Monday, October 12. The Department of Justice confirmed that investigators executed a judicially authorized search warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.
Omar, who is running for reelection, said she would not be silenced and described the search as the latest escalation in what she called President Donald Trump's intimidation campaign. She posted on X that the action amounted to targeting political enemies and weaponizing law enforcement. A spokesperson for the congresswoman called it an outrageous abuse of power.
Neighbors reported being woken around 4:30 a.m. by agents at the residence. Officers were seen removing boxes. The search involved Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Attorney's office in Minneapolis, and the Justice Department. Sources familiar with the probe described it as multi-year and involving whistleblower complaints, documents, and witness testimony. It concerns immigration matters and extends beyond them, according to those accounts.
Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin have previously referred to an investigation involving Omar's family's immigration paperwork from when she was a child. Omar became a U.S. citizen in 2000 after arriving as a refugee from Somalia. She has denied wrongdoing. Border czar Tom Homan confirmed in September that Omar was the subject of a criminal investigation.
The timing, three weeks before the midterm elections, has drawn criticism from Democrats who view it as selective enforcement. The Justice Department statement did not name Omar or detail the specific allegations. Agents left the property later in the morning after the search.
Omar has been a frequent target of criticism from the Trump administration. The search has prompted debate over the use of federal investigative tools against sitting members of Congress. No charges have been announced. The investigation continues, with the warrant indicating probable cause for the search of the residence.
Local residents described the presence of unmarked vehicles and officers on the street. The congresswoman's office said she received no prior notice of the investigation. The episode adds a new layer to the already contentious midterm campaign in her Minnesota district.
