Federal agents raided the Washington-area home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., on Monday, executing a court-authorized search warrant as part of an ongoing criminal fraud investigation into her immigration paperwork. The Justice Department confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, carried out the search. Two sources close to the investigation said the probe centers on immigration documents filed by Omar's late father when she was a child.
The raid immediately ignited a political firestorm, with Democratic lawmakers accusing President Donald Trump of weaponizing federal law enforcement against a longtime political adversary. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called the development «deeply disturbing» and raised «serious questions about the continued corrupt weaponization of the federal government against Donald Trump's adversaries.»
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., a fellow member of the progressive group known as the «Squad,» framed the raid as a personal vendetta. «Donald Trump has been obsessed with Rep. Omar. He has gone after her repeatedly, causing her severe harm and going after the entire Somali American population,» Jayapal said, referencing Trump's focus on Somali fraud rings in Minnesota that drew national attention earlier this year. «This is his way of bullying his way back into power. This is what authoritarians do,» she added.
Other Democrats emphasized Omar's legal status. Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., called the raid «an outrageous abuse of power by ICE,» noting that Omar «has been a U.S. citizen for 26 years» and «came to the United States as a child and was legally admitted as a refugee.» Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., echoed that sentiment, saying Trump is «weaponizing the federal government to silence opposition.» Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., described the search as a «pre-dawn raid ahead of the election» and said Omar «has done nothing to justify» it. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., also condemned the administration's «slanderous attacks» against Omar.
Republicans, meanwhile, pushed back on the characterization of the raid as politically motivated. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said she had previously tried to subpoena Omar's immigration records but was blocked by both parties in the Oversight Committee. «If the fraud is proven, she should be denaturalized and deported home to Somalia,» Mace wrote. She also drew a parallel to the 2022 FBI raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, arguing that Democrats had set a precedent. «All those who celebrated the raid of Mar-a-Lago don't get to cry over the raid at Ilhan Omar's home,» she said.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said the episode underscores the need for greater scrutiny of lawmakers' citizenship credentials, calling for disclosure requirements for dual citizens in Congress. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., agreed, stating that if Omar «lied on her immigration paperwork, she should be denaturalized and deported — the same as anyone else.» House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., affirmed that «nobody is above the law» and said he looks forward to learning more details about the investigation.
Omar has repeatedly denied allegations of immigration fraud and claims that she is in the country unlawfully. The investigation stems in part from her 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, which critics allege was a sham to commit immigration fraud. Omar has denied that Elmi is her brother, and no charges related to that marriage have been filed. The couple divorced in 2017. As of Tuesday morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had not issued statements on the raid.