Federal agents searched the Washington, D.C.-area home of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota on Monday as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. This prompted criticism from congressional Democrats over the timing of the action less than a month before the November midterm elections.
The Department of Justice confirmed that agents from Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant in the Washington area. The department did not disclose further details about the investigation or identify the subject of the probe in its initial statement, according to The Associated Press.
Omar, a prominent progressive lawmaker and frequent critic of President Donald Trump, said she would not be silenced following the search. She has faced repeated attacks from Trump and other Republicans, including allegations of immigration-related wrongdoing that she has denied. The search adds a new development to the political tensions surrounding Omar as she campaigns for reelection in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.
Omar accuses Trump administration of political intimidation
In a statement posted on X, Omar described the search as an attempt to target political opponents and use federal law enforcement against them.
“For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation,” she said. “I will not be silenced.”
READ: Minneapolis police raid home of Ilhan Omar’s son over allegations against his roommate (August 28, 2026)
The Justice Department has historically avoided public investigations involving political candidates within 60 days of a primary or general election. The search took place about three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, in which Omar is seeking another term in Congress. House Democratic leaders condemned the action, arguing that the timing raised concerns about the use of federal law enforcement against an elected member of the opposition.
Immigration fraud allegations remain disputed
The precise scope of the federal investigation remained unclear following Monday’s search. However, senior Trump administration officials have previously referred to an inquiry into allegations that Omar provided false information on immigration documents.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last month that an investigation was underway, including questions about whether Omar had lied on her immigration forms.
Vice President JD Vance has also accused Omar of immigration fraud, although he has not publicly established evidence supporting the allegation. Omar has denied wrongdoing, and her office has previously described the accusations as fabricated and defamatory.
The search itself does not establish that Omar committed a crime, and the Justice Department had not announced any charges in connection with the investigation in its statement.
A longstanding target of Republican criticism
Omar, who was first elected to Congress in 2018, represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis. Born in Somalia, she became one of the first Muslim American women elected to the House of Representatives and is a member of the progressive group known as The Squad.
Trump and Republican lawmakers have repeatedly criticized her background and political positions. Republicans have also revived allegations concerning her marriage and immigration history, which she has broadly rejected. Trump referred to Omar at a campaign rally in Tennessee over the weekend and suggested that Vance and administration officials were investigating her.
Monday’s search is likely to intensify political debate over the federal investigation, the administration’s treatment of its critics and the role of law enforcement in the weeks leading up to the midterm elections.
The office of Rep. Omar released a statement following the federal raid, calling the action by the Department of Homeland Security “an outrageous abuse of power and an unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement to target political enemies.”
READ: Ilhan Omar’s sister linked to figures in Minnesota fraud scandal (July 26, 2026)
The statement said President Donald Trump has targeted Omar with inflammatory rhetoric for a decade and that those attacks have now escalated to “a pointless federal raid.” The office added that Omar “has done nothing wrong” and that “no president should be able to use the power of the federal government to intimidate his political enemies.”
In a separate July investigation, it was alleged that Sahra Noor, Omar’s sister, founded a company called Grit Partners Consulting whose registered address was linked to individuals connected to Minnesota’s $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scandal. A report, based on public records and business incorporation documents, detailed business and property connections involving people convicted or implicated in the scheme, including individuals linked to Aimee Bock, the nonprofit’s founder who was sentenced to 41 years in prison. However, the reported connections do not establish that Noor or Omar participated in the fraud, and neither was reported as charged in connection with the scheme.