Federal authorities seized a cellphone belonging to Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., during a raid on her Washington, D.C., home on Monday as part of a criminal fraud investigation into her immigration paperwork, according to officials familiar with the matter.
Investigators have issued more than a dozen subpoenas to members of Omar's family as they examine whether her family lied about her age when she immigrated to the United States in 1995. Omar became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000. The probe centers on whether the age listed on her application differed from her actual birthdate.
Omar was reported to be 17 years old at the time she acquired citizenship, which would have made her eligible to receive citizenship automatically through her father's naturalization. Questions surrounding Omar's age resurfaced after her congressional staff contacted a Minnesota public library months after she took office to request that her birth year in historical records be changed from 1981 to 1982.
Authorities are also examining paperwork submitted by Omar's late father, Nur Omar Mohamed, regarding his application to enter the United States, investigating whether statements on his filings were untruthful.
Omar's husband, Tim Mynett, expressed confidence when asked about the investigation into his wife. «My wife came here when she was 12 years old as a child war refugee,» Mynett told Fox News Digital this week. «No concerns.»
Omar has denied any wrongdoing and accused the Trump administration of weaponizing federal law enforcement against political opponents. «For a decade, Donald Trump has relentlessly targeted Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with inflammatory rhetoric, repeatedly putting a target on her back,» her office said in a statement. «Now, those attacks have escalated to a pointless federal raid. The congresswoman has done nothing wrong. No president should be able to use the power of the federal government to intimidate his political enemies.»
In addition to the immigration probe, a separate inquiry is underway regarding Omar's federal financial disclosures. Officials noted that the financial disclosure review is unrelated to the raid on her home.
The raid comes weeks before the midterm elections and has drawn sharp reactions from both sides of the political aisle. A former prosecutor said Democrats have «dirty hands» over complaints about the timing of the raid, suggesting that the party's criticism of the investigation is politically motivated.
Border czar Tom Homan previously confirmed that a «criminal» investigation involving Omar was underway, saying he knew «things are going on.» Omar had denied that federal agents had contacted her after Homan's comments.
The investigation adds to the legal and political pressures facing Omar, a prominent progressive lawmaker and member of the so-called «Squad.» She has been a frequent target of conservative criticism and has faced previous scrutiny over her immigration history and personal finances.
Federal authorities have not announced any charges against Omar or her family members. The investigation remains ongoing.