Federal agents searched the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Democrat, in the District of Columbia early Monday as part of an immigration fraud investigation, while the Democratic congresswoman’s allies slammed the White House for launching the operation less than a month before she faced reelection.
The raid carried out by Homeland Security Department agents is connected to an investigation of the immigration forms that Ms. Omar’s father filled out when she was a child, according to multiple reports.
“Today in the Washington, D.C., area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice. This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation,” the Justice Department said.
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The search was carried out after border czar Tom Homan confirmed last month that Ms. Omar was the focus of a criminal investigation.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said at the time that Ms. Omar was under review for potential immigration fraud related to her family’s arrival in the U.S., but Ms. Omar said she had never been contacted about an investigation into her immigration status.
President Trump derided Ms. Omar during a rally Saturday at the F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tennessee, and teased a potential development in the investigation by saying, “Let’s see what happens.” He added that Vice President J.D. Vance and other administration officials “are looking at it very strongly.”
Mr. Trump expressed more of his disdain for Ms. Omar while speaking to reporters Monday before heading to Ohio, although he said the federal action was not done at his direction.
“I’ve always found her to be totally crooked personally, but that has nothing to do with me. I think she’s a terrible person, just a complainer,” the president said.
“She comes from a country that is a non-country, and then she comes over here and she complains about our constitution. I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ. I have nothing to do with it,” he continued.
Ms. Omar, 44, responded to the raid by saying she “will not be silenced” and described the search as an attempt by the Trump administration to frighten her.
“Make no mistake: This is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement,” the lawmaker said. “For 10 years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation.”
Party allies quickly rallied to Ms. Omar’s defense. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the search an “abuse of power,” Rep. Ro Khanna of California said the raid was “deeply disturbing,” and Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois threatened to “dismantle DHS” because it was being used to “persecute” Ms. Omar.
House Democratic leaders also spoke out against the raid, saying it was another example of the “corrupt weaponization of the federal government” and vowing to hold the White House accountable.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Party Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California issued a joint statement condemning the search. “For years, Donald Trump and far-right extremists have relentlessly targeted Congresswoman Omar with vile personal attacks and baseless accusations,” they said.
“Now, less than 30 days until the midterm election, his violent mass deportation machine has descended upon the home of a duly elected member of Congress and her family,” the leaders said.
It was unclear what aspects of the immigration paperwork filed by Ms. Omar’s father, the late Nur Omar Mohamed, might be subject to investigation.
Mohamed died in 2020. Official statements said he worked as a teacher in his native country, but an obituary said he served in the Somali National Army during the Siad Barre regime.
Ms. Omar was born in war-torn Somalia and came to the U.S. in 1995 at age 12. Her family was granted refugee status, and she became a naturalized American citizen in 2000.
The Justice Department has made cracking down on immigration fraud a priority and has sought to denaturalize citizens who falsified personal details during the application process.
Mr. Trump and other Republicans have accused Ms. Omar of abusing the immigration system since she became a public official 10 years ago.
The most serious allegation is that Ms. Omar married her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, in 2009 to secure immigration benefits for him. The congresswoman has denied those claims.
Ms. Omar and Mr. Elmi separated in 2011 under what she called a Muslim “faith tradition,” but they did not formally divorce until 2017.
Ms. Omar’s romantic history with Ahmed Hirsi, her first husband and the father of her three children, has also defied convention.
Ms. Omar and Mr. Hirsi were wed in what the politician described as a Muslim marriage, but the couple never obtained a marriage license. Ms. Omar had two children with Mr. Hirsi — including activist Isra Hirsi, born in 2003 — before the couple separated in 2008. The congresswoman reconciled with Mr. Hirsi after her separation from Mr. Elmi, and the couple had a third child, Adnan, in 2012.
Ms. Omar did not officially marry Mr. Hirsi until 2018, only to divorce him a year later.
The lawmaker has been married to one of her former campaign consultants, Tim Mynett, since 2020.
Ms. Omar has been one of the more visible members of Congress since her election in 2018.
She is a member of “The Squad,” a group of left-wing female lawmakers known for their outspoken opposition to Mr. Trump and his policies.
• Stephen Dinan contributed to this report.
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