The Justice Department confirmed a court-authorized search as sources said investigators are examining immigration-related records involving the Minnesota congresswoman.
WASHINGTON, DC — Federal agents searched Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington home early Monday as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation, a significant law enforcement action involving the Minnesota congresswoman less than a month before the midterm elections.
The Justice Department said Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the department. Officials did not publicly disclose the full scope of the investigation, identify possible charges or announce that Omar had been accused of a crime. People familiar with the investigation told several news organizations that investigators are examining possible immigration-related issues, including records connected to Omar’s family and her childhood immigration to the United States.
The search began before dawn Monday at Omar’s Washington residence. Homeland Security Investigations, the criminal investigative arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, carried out the operation. Associated Press photographs showed federal personnel at the property, and agents were seen removing boxes marked as evidence. The Justice Department described the operation only as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation and provided no additional details about what agents were seeking.
Reuters, CBS News and other news organizations reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that the investigation concerns possible immigration fraud and paperwork connected to Omar’s entry into the United States as a child. Reuters reported that part of the inquiry involves documents completed by Omar’s late father. Those reports have not been accompanied by a public criminal complaint, indictment or other court filing outlining allegations against Omar, and federal officials have not publicly presented evidence showing that she committed immigration fraud.
Omar, 44, rejected suggestions of wrongdoing and said the search was politically motivated. “I will not be silenced,” she wrote in a statement posted online. She accused President Donald Trump of pursuing a campaign of political intimidation against her and said the federal government was being used to target one of the president’s political opponents. Omar has previously denied allegations about her immigration history that have circulated among conservative activists and Republican officials.
Trump told reporters Monday that he had “nothing to do” with the search and said the investigation was a matter for the Justice Department. He nevertheless continued criticizing Omar later in the day during a political rally in Ohio, where he attacked her record and her Somali background. Trump and several members of his administration have repeatedly criticized Omar, and administration officials had publicly acknowledged before Monday that an investigation involving her was underway.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last month that there was an ongoing investigation involving Omar’s family immigration records. Vice President JD Vance has also publicly accused Omar of immigration fraud, an allegation she has denied. Federal authorities have not announced findings supporting those accusations. Omar was born in Somalia, came to the United States after her family fled the country’s civil war and became a U.S. citizen in 2000.
The timing of Monday’s search drew immediate attention because the Nov. 3 midterm election is a little more than three weeks away. Omar is seeking a fifth term representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. The Justice Department has historically instructed prosecutors and investigators to avoid overt investigative actions close to elections when those steps could affect a political contest. Department policy also bars law enforcement actions taken for the purpose of influencing an election or benefiting a candidate or political party.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other senior Democrats called the search deeply disturbing and questioned whether federal law enforcement was being used against Trump’s political opponents. Minnesota Democrats also criticized the operation. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina said that if immigration fraud were proven, Omar should face consequences, while emphasizing the allegation conditionally. No federal charges against Omar had been announced Monday.
Reuters reported that the Justice Department consulted its Public Integrity Section, which has historically advised on investigations involving members of Congress, as well as acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter before the search. The Justice Department has not released the search warrant or an affidavit that could explain what evidence investigators presented to obtain judicial approval. Search-warrant materials can remain sealed during an active investigation.
Omar was first elected to Congress in 2018 and represents a Minneapolis-area district. She became the first Somali American elected to Congress and was among the first Muslim women elected to the House. Her disputes with Trump and other Republicans have stretched across both Trump administrations and have included repeated clashes over immigration, foreign policy and her criticism of the president.
The federal investigation remained active Monday night. The Justice Department had not disclosed potential charges, released the warrant or said whether additional investigative steps were planned. Omar had not been charged with a crime, and the department’s confirmation of the search did not establish that investigators had concluded she committed wrongdoing.
Author note: Last updated October 12, 2026.