Federal agents conducted a search of Representative Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence on Monday morning, according to sources familiar with the ongoing federal investigation.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice confirmed that agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)—a branch of the Department of Homeland Security tasked with conducting criminal probes—executed a “judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice.” The statement noted that the enforcement action is part of an active federal criminal investigation, though officials declined to specify whether the warrant directly named the Minnesota Democrat or provide details regarding the nature of the inquiry.
Representatives for Omar did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The raid, first reported by Fox News, occurs under heightened political scrutiny, with only 22 days remaining until the midterm elections. While the Department of Justice maintains no blanket prohibition against taking investigative steps shortly before an election, long-standing unwritten practice and official policy mandate that prosecutors and agents avoid actions that could influence the outcome of a race or give the appearance of political motivation. The DOJ requires personnel to seek internal guidance when timing might raise questions, a policy designed to avoid controversies similar to the 2016 disclosure regarding Hillary Clinton’s email investigation.
The search follows months of escalating rhetoric from political figures regarding the congresswoman. Last month, former border official Tom Homan suggested to Fox News that Omar was under investigation by DHS, stating, “If someone committed immigration violation, if someone committed marriage fraud or anything like that, regardless if they’re a congressman or not, no one’s above the law.”
The investigation into the congresswoman, who immigrated to the U.S. from Somalia as a child, has become a frequent focal point for former President Donald Trump. During a rally in Tennessee this past weekend, Trump criticized Omar and Somali immigrants at length, labeling Somalia “lawless” and claiming that the state of Minnesota has been “taken over.” Earlier this year, the former president publicly claimed that both Congress and the Justice Department were “looking at” the congresswoman.
The heightened attention toward Minnesota’s Somali community comes as the Justice Department has pursued several high-profile fraud cases in the state, including a $250 million scheme involving a Covid-era program intended to provide food for children. While the lead defendant in that case was white, Trump has repeatedly highlighted the Somali background of other defendants in related social services fraud cases to criticize the community.
Omar has previously pushed back against the former president’s focus on her background and his rhetoric regarding her constituents, pointing to such comments as contributing factors to security concerns, including an attack on her at a town hall event earlier this year. As of Monday afternoon, the investigation remains ongoing.
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