Federal agents searched the Washington, D.C., home of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Monday morning as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into her immigration paperwork, according to the Justice Department and multiple reports.
Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a “judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice” in the Washington, D.C., area, a DOJ spokesperson said in a statement. “This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation”.
The search occurred around 6 a.m. local time, with multiple HSI agents in marked jackets seen outside Omar’s residence. Video obtained by Fox News showed law enforcement personnel near the home, and the street was blocked off Monday morning as agents remained on scene.
Two sources close to the investigation told Fox News Digital that the raid is part of a probe into Omar’s immigration documents, which were filled out by her late father when she was a child.
The investigation reportedly centers on allegations of immigration fraud, including longstanding but unsubstantiated claims that Omar married her brother in 2009 to help him obtain legal residency in the United States.
Omar has repeatedly denied the allegation, calling it “absurd and offensive” and a “disgusting lie”.
The probe also reportedly extends to questions about whether Omar entered the U.S. in 1995 under a false name or secondary family identity to bypass refugee processing backlogs.
The search follows months of public signals from the Trump administration that Omar was under investigation. Vice President JD Vance said in May that the administration would investigate Omar for immigration fraud allegations.
“It certainly seems like something fishy is there, but everybody’s entitled to equal justice under the laws,” Vance told reporters. “So we’re going to investigate it. We’re going to take a look at it. If we think there’s a crime, we’re going to prosecute that crime”.
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In a separate interview, Vance said without offering evidence that “we actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America”.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last month that authorities were examining Omar’s immigration history beyond the disputed marriage allegation. “We feel that there may be more to this, the whole family migration, and possibly some illegal activity for them to come to the United States to begin with,” Mullin said.
Border czar Tom Homan publicly acknowledged an active criminal probe in mid-September but declined to provide details, saying only: “No one’s above the law.” He also declined to rule out the possibility of revoking Omar’s citizenship.
Omar’s office did not immediately issue a public statement Monday. In response to prior allegations, Omar’s chief of staff, Connor McNutt, dismissed Vance’s claims earlier this year as “fabricated and defamatory” and “a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract”.
Omar has served as the U.S. representative for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District since 2019 and is a prominent member of the progressive group known as “The Squad.” Born in Somalia, she fled the country as a child and arrived in the United States as a refugee in 1995 at age 12. She became a U.S. citizen in 2000.
No criminal charges have been filed against Omar to date, and her legal counsel has maintained that her naturalization process and financial disclosures comply with federal law. The Department of Homeland Security referred questions about the search to the Justice Department.
The search comes just three weeks before a crucial midterm Election Day, and critics have suggested the timing raises questions about political motivation .
