Federal Agents Search Rep. Ilhan Omar's Home in Criminal Probe

Federal agents searched the Washington home of Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar on Monday, October 12, as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press. The Justice Department confirmed that agents carried out a judicially authorized search warrant in the Washington area but released no details about what investigators sought. No charges against Omar were announced.

The search was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Photographs from the scene showed officers carrying boxes from the residence while the street around the home was blocked off. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security referred questions to the Justice Department, which said in a statement that the enforcement action was part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.

Omar, a Minnesota Democrat and a prominent critic of President Donald Trump, rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing. She described the search as an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement, and said she would not be silenced. Omar has broadly denied the allegations about her background as "disgusting lies."

What investigators have said, and have not said

Beyond confirming the warrant, federal officials have said little. The Justice Department has not identified the precise nature of the inquiry or described the evidence agents were seeking. CBS News reported that the inquiry concerned immigration documents dating to Omar's childhood, including paperwork completed by her late father when the family came to the United States. That account has not been confirmed by the Justice Department.

The search followed months of public statements from administration officials about Omar. White House border czar Tom Homan said in September that Omar was the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation, without providing details. Omar said at the time that federal officials had not contacted her and dismissed the matter as a political attack. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last month that "something's gonna happen" in the investigation into Omar's family's entry into the United States.

Vice President JD Vance has in the past accused Omar of committing immigration fraud, an allegation she has denied, and has said he and White House immigration adviser Stephen Miller discussed how to investigate the Minnesota congresswoman. Trump referred pejoratively to Omar at a rally in Tennessee days before the search and suggested that Vance and administration officials were investigating her.

Timing draws condemnation from Democrats

The search took place about three weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, in which Omar is on the ballot for reelection. The Justice Department has historically sought to avoid public investigative steps involving a candidate within 60 days of an election, and department policy bars federal prosecutors and agents from timing any action to affect an election outcome or benefit a candidate or party.

Top Democrats seized on the timing. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, joined by Representatives Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar, said in a joint statement that the search was "deeply disturbing and raises serious questions" about the weaponization of the federal government against Trump's opponents. They said Trump's "mass deportation machine has descended upon the home of a duly elected Member of Congress and her family" and vowed to "deliver full accountability" for a "rogue abuse of power."

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wrote on social media that Americans could see the search for what it was, and said Trump was abusing his power to go after political opponents weeks before an election. Few Republican lawmakers commented publicly. Representative Nancy Mace wrote online: "If the fraud is proven, she should be denaturalized and removed from this country. No one is above the law."

Trump denies a role in the search

Trump denied any involvement in the investigation, according to reporting by BizzBuzz. Speaking to reporters before departing the White House for Ohio, he said the matter was being handled by the Justice Department and that he had "nothing to do with it." In the same remarks, he called Omar "a terrible person" and attacked her background.

Omar was elected to the House in 2018 and represents a district that includes Minneapolis, home to a large Somali community. She is part of the group of progressive lawmakers known as the Squad, who have been among Trump's most vocal opponents in Congress. Republicans voted in 2023 to remove Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, citing her remarks about Israel.

For now, the central questions remain unanswered. Federal officials have not said what agents took from the home, what specific conduct is under investigation, or whether charges will follow. Omar remains on the ballot in November, and the investigation continues. Ilhan Omar has said she will keep speaking out as the case proceeds. The Associated Press reported the search, and The Hill reported the Justice Department's confirmation that the enforcement action was part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.