Feds search Rep. Ilhan Omar's DC home as part of a criminal probe
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Federal agents on Monday searched the Washington home of Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a frequent target of Trump administration criticism, as part of a criminal investigation, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Omar later confirmed the search, calling it “the latest escalation” in President Trump’s “campaign of political intimidation” against her.
The search was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations agents, said the people, who were not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
More details about the investigation were not immediately clear, though Vice President JD Vance has in the past accused Omar of committing immigration fraud — an allegation she has denied — and has said he and a top White House official were trying to figure out how to investigate the Minnesota congresswoman.
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The Justice Department said in a statement Monday that HSI agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the department in the Washington, D.C., area as “part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation” but provided no other details. The street was blocked off Monday morning as HSI agents remained near the home.
‘I will not be silenced’
Omar represents Minnesota’s 5th District, including Minneapolis. She was first elected to the House in 2018 and has been a member of what's called The Squad of female lawmakers known for their progressive views and pointed opposition to President Donald Trump, a Republican.
Republicans have raised questions about Omar's past since before she was even elected, including asserting that she had married her brother and committed immigration fraud. Omar has broadly denied the allegations as “disgusting lies.”
“It certainly seems like something fishy is there, but everybody's entitled to equal justice under the laws,” Vance told reporters in May. “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.”
In a separate interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, Vance said without offering evidence that “we actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America.”
He said that he and deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller had been discussing it and “trying to look at what the remedies are.”
“That’s the thing that we’re trying to figure out," he said. "What are the legal remedies now that we know that she’s committed immigration fraud. How do you go after her? How do you investigate her? How do you actually do the thing? How do you build the case necessary to get some, some, some justice for the American people?”
Omar’s office in March dismissed Vance’s claims as fabricated and defamatory.
On social media late Monday morning, Omar said of federal agents searching her home: “Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. 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.”
