US federal agents searched the Washington, DC-area home of controversial Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on Monday, October 12, as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, bringing fresh scrutiny to an Islamist hardliner who has spent years at the centre of political battles over her immigration history and ideological positions.
A US Department of Justice spokesperson confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigative arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), executed a judicially authorised search warrant at the residence.
Fox News, citing two unnamed sources close to the investigation, reported that the search was linked to a fraud investigation concerning Omar’s immigration paperwork, reportedly completed by her late father when she was a child.
The search follows months of increasingly explicit statements from President Donald Trump and senior administration officials about investigating Omar over allegations concerning her immigration history.
Trump Administration had promised to investigate Omar
At a rally on Saturday, Trump attacked Omar by name and said Vice President JD Vance and his team were examining the matter closely.
The remarks followed a series of public statements signalling that the administration was examining allegations that have dogged the Somali-born congresswoman for years.
In December, Trump reiterated that Omar had married her brother to help him obtain US immigration status. Omar has consistently denied the accusation.
Days later, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said officials were examining her records. In March, Vance told right-wing media personality Benny Johnson that the administration believed Omar had committed immigration fraud and that he had discussed possible remedies with senior adviser Stephen Miller.
Last month, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also told Johnson that an investigation was under way, repeating allegations concerning Omar’s former marriage and raising questions about her family’s immigration history.
Monday’s search marks a significant development after months of public warnings from administration officials. However, those statements do not establish that the allegations are true or that the investigation is politically motivated.
The allegations surrounding Omar’s Marriage
Omar, who arrived in the United States from Somalia as an eight-year-old refugee, has faced persistent allegations that her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, was actually her brother and that their marriage was intended to facilitate his immigration.
She has repeatedly denied the claim. The two formally divorced in 2017, after separating earlier.
The allegation has been amplified repeatedly by Trump and his allies. The current investigation’s precise connection to the marriage allegation has not been officially established.
Questions have often been raised over Omar’s naturalisation, including assertions about her age and the information recorded in immigration documents. Last month, the New York Post cited an unnamed immigration official discussing the possibility of denaturalisation if sufficient evidence emerged that material information had been falsified.
Omar, a hard-line Islamist
First elected to Congress in 2018, Omar represents a Minneapolis-area district and is among the most prominent figures on the Democratic Party’s progressive wing. Alongside Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib, she became one of the first two Muslim women elected to the US House of Representatives.
Her political positions, statements on foreign policy and hardline Islamist stance have drawn considerable criticism. She has been slammed as extremist, particularly over beliefs on religion, immigration and foreign policy.
Her Somali birth has also featured prominently in Trump’s attacks. The president has repeatedly suggested that she should return to Somalia, despite her US citizenship. Citizenship is a constitutional requirement for serving in the House, and being born abroad does not disqualify a naturalised American from holding office.
Trump’s Attacks Extend to Minnesota’s Somali Community
The search comes amid Trump’s escalating rhetoric against Minnesota’s Somali-American population.
Last week, he claimed on social media that Minnesota was being taken over by Somali immigrants and urged residents to fight back. At Saturday’s rally, he disparaged Somalia and questioned whether the US Constitution belonged to Omar.
Trump has previously used derogatory language to describe Somali immigrants and called for them to return to their country of origin.
