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

Updated 09:45 UTC: The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday night that the federal investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar is aimed at building a case to strip her of her US citizenship and deport her, citing US officials and people familiar with the probe. Investigators are examining whether Omar or her late father listed her age as 17 instead of 18 in citizenship paperwork, a detail that decides whether her citizenship came automatically through her father or needed an application of its own. Omar arrived in the United States in 1995 from a refugee camp in Kenya and became a citizen in 2000. Her office told the Journal there is no basis for the investigation. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro has publicly confirmed that her office has opened several investigations into Omar, including one into her financial disclosure forms, the Journal reported. The Justice Department has confirmed only that the search took place and has not described the goal of the investigation.

Updated 02:40 UTC: Federal agents seized Rep. Ilhan Omar's phone when they searched her Washington home on Monday, and prosecutors have issued about a dozen grand jury subpoenas in the investigation, including to members of her family, NBC News reported on October 14, citing two people familiar with the probe. Omar herself was not subpoenaed. The subpoenas are tied to a federal grand jury in Minnesota.

The possible charges cited by federal officials include conspiracy and making false statements in immigration paperwork, one of the people told NBC News. Before approving the search warrant, a federal magistrate judge in Washington limited how Justice Department lawyers could access Omar's congressional records, a step meant to protect the Speech or Debate Clause rights of a sitting member of Congress, CNN reported. The investigation is run by Homeland Security Investigations, the US attorney in Minneapolis and the Justice Department. The Justice Department declined to comment, and a spokesperson for Omar did not respond to NBC News. No charges have been announced.

The search came about three weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, inside the window when the Justice Department has usually avoided overt steps in cases that could affect an election.

Updated 23:25 UTC: President Donald Trump denied any role in the search on Monday afternoon. Speaking to reporters as he left the White House for a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, Trump said he had no involvement and no prior knowledge of the operation. He repeated his long-running attacks on Omar in the same remarks and said the matter was up to the Justice Department.

Omar answered in public on Monday. She called the search political intimidation and the latest step in a years-long campaign against her, and she said she would not be silenced. House Democratic leaders, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, called the raid deeply disturbing in a joint statement and noted that it came less than 30 days before the midterm elections. The search also sits uneasily with longstanding Justice Department policy that advises prosecutors to avoid actions close to an election that could affect the result.

WASHINGTON: Federal agents searched the Washington-area home of Rep. Ilhan Omar early Monday morning, the Justice Department confirmed, in a dramatic escalation of the Trump administration's long-running feud with the Minnesota Democrat.

Agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the criminal-investigations arm of the Department of Homeland Security, executed what the department called a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Justice Department. The street outside the home was blocked off as agents remained at the scene through the morning.

"This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation," a Justice Department spokesperson said. Officials gave no other details about what the investigation covers.

What the raid is reportedly about

Fox News, citing two sources familiar with the investigation, reported that agents are examining the immigration paperwork that Omar's late father filled out when she was a child. Omar arrived in the United States in 1995 as a refugee from Somalia and became a U.S. citizen in 2000.

The Associated Press, citing two people familiar with the matter, confirmed that HSI agents searched the home as part of a criminal investigation but said the precise focus was not immediately clear.

Omar, 44, has represented Minnesota's 5th District, which includes Minneapolis, since she was first elected to the House in 2018. She is a member of the progressive group of lawmakers known as "the Squad" and has been one of President Donald Trump's most frequent targets.

Why it matters

The search marks the most aggressive step yet in the administration's campaign against Omar. For years, Trump and his allies have accused her, without presenting evidence, of committing immigration fraud, including the long-running claim that she married her brother to help him obtain immigration benefits. Omar has broadly denied the allegations as "disgusting lies."

Top administration officials have been open about their intentions. In March, Vice President JD Vance said the administration "definitely" believes Omar committed fraud and was evaluating how to "go after" her. Last month, border czar Tom Homan confirmed on Fox News that she was the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation, saying "things are going on" but declining to give specifics. Homan confirmed Monday morning that the warrant had been executed.

The timing is delicate. Omar is running for reelection with the midterm elections only weeks away. Justice Department policy bars prosecutors and agents from timing investigative steps to influence an election, and investigations of sitting members of Congress require additional approvals inside the department. The Constitution also gives lawmakers special protections around papers tied to their legislative work.

What happens next

Neither the precise scope of the investigation nor any potential charges are known. Omar has not been charged with any crime. Her office had not issued a public statement as of Monday morning, and spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The search is likely to intensify the already bitter standoff between the administration and congressional Democrats, who have accused Trump of weaponizing federal law enforcement against political opponents. Expect court filings, congressional inquiries and a flood of litigation over the coming days as both sides fight over what agents took and whether the search was lawful.

Key numbers

• 1995: the year Omar arrived in the U.S. as a Somali refugee
• 2000: the year she became a U.S. citizen
• 2018: the year she was first elected to the House
• 5th: her Minnesota congressional district, centered on Minneapolis