US authorities conducted a predawn raid on Monday on the Washington-area home of Democratic US Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, as part of an ongoing investigation, the US Justice Department said.
A person familiar with the investigation said it is related to alleged immigration fraud, and part of the probe concerns the Somali-born lawmaker's immigration paperwork, which was filled out by her late father when she was a child.
Omar claimed in a social media post that the US government is being weaponized to target a political enemy of the US president.
"For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns," Omar said. "This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced."
Trump denies involvement in Omar investigation
US President Donald Trump denied involvement in the investigation when asked about Omar on Monday. “I understand they’re looking at her very carefully,” he said, calling her “totally crooked” and “a terrible person.” He added, “That’s really up to the DOJ — I have nothing to do with it.”
Omar, 44, is seeking a fifth two-year term in the US House of Representatives in the midterm elections on November 3.
In announcing the raid, a Justice Department spokesperson said: "Today in the Washington, DC area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice. This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal investigation."
Homeland Security Investigations is part of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Tom Homan, the Trump administration's border czar, told Fox Business Network that the Justice Department is leading the investigation with the Department of Homeland Security. Homan declined to get into the specifics of an ongoing criminal investigation.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a Trump appointee, said last month that "something's gonna happen" in the investigation into Omar's family's entry into the United States.
"If we can prove that you shouldn't have been here in the first place, we'll deport you," Mullin told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson at the time.
Monday's raid was carried out a little more than three weeks before the midterms, with Trump's party seeking to retain control of Congress. Omar, a prominent progressive, represents a safe Democratic district. She won reelection in 2024 by a margin of 50 percentage points.
Democrats condemn raid on Omar's home
In a joint statement, US House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other members of the party's leadership in the chamber said the raid was "deeply disturbing and raises serious questions about the" weaponization of the federal government against Trump's enemies.
Republicans have "relentlessly targeted" Omar, said Jeffries, joined by Representatives Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar. Trump's "mass deportation machine has descended upon the home of a duly elected Member of Congress and her family," they added, and they vowed to "deliver full accountability" for what they called a "rogue abuse of power."
Minnesota Democrats also condemned the raid.
"Americans see this for what it is," Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, wrote on social media. "President Trump is abusing his power to go after political opponents weeks before an election."
Justice Department policy bars federal prosecutors and agents from timing any action to affect the outcome of any election or benefiting a candidate or political party. The department has historically avoided taking investigative steps against political candidates within about 60 days of an election.
Last month, a Minnesota man who squirted vinegar on Omar was sentenced to one year and two months in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a federal official. Anthony James Kazmierczak admitted to attacking Omar because he disagreed with her progressive political views.