Federal agents search Ilhan Omar’s Washington home three weeks before midterms

Homeland Security Investigations agents searched the Washington-area home of Representative Ilhan Omar on the morning of 12 October 2026 under a judicially authorised warrant. The Justice Department confirmed the action formed part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Omar, a Democrat representing Minnesota’s 5th District, said she would not be silenced and described the search as political intimidation. The midterm elections are set for 3 November, placing the search inside the traditional 60-day window when the Justice Department has historically avoided public investigative steps involving candidates.

Agents arrived early, blocking streets and removing boxes marked as seized property evidence. Neighbours reported being woken around 4:30 a.m. The Department of Homeland Security referred questions to the Justice Department. Officials have previously said the probe involves Omar’s family’s immigration paperwork. Some investigators have also examined finances, campaign funds and contacts with a foreign citizen, according to people briefed on the matter who spoke to the New York Times on condition of anonymity.

Omar, born in Somalia and brought to the United States as a child refugee, has denied immigration fraud allegations raised by Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Trump has repeatedly criticised her, including a recent rally remark referring to her country of origin in pejorative terms and suggesting investigations were underway. When asked about the search, Trump said it had nothing to do with him and deferred to the Justice Department, while adding that he had always found her crooked.

Top Democrats condemned the timing. Omar’s district is heavily Democratic and she faces limited electoral risk, but the search has drawn attention to the use of federal investigative tools against a sitting member of Congress close to an election. The Justice Department statement provided no further details on the scope or next steps. No charges have been filed in open reporting.

The operation follows months of public statements from administration officials about reviewing Omar’s immigration records. It occurs while other high-profile searches and investigations continue in the final weeks of the campaign. Omar posted that she was fine and that the action was an attempt to target political enemies. The concrete sequence is the early-morning warrant execution, the removal of evidence boxes, and the confirmation that the probe remains open.

Whether the search produces charges or further public steps before 3 November is not known. The historical norm of restraint near elections has been cited by critics of the timing, while supporters of the investigation point to the existence of a court-approved warrant and prior official statements about the scope of the inquiry.