Federal agents search Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington-area home in criminal probe
Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant at the Washington-area home of Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar on Monday morning, the Justice Department said.
Search at the Washington-area home
Federal agents searched the Washington-area home of Representative Ilhan Omar on Monday, 12 October 2026, in the early morning. Axios described it as a pre-dawn search, and Fox News posted video showing what appeared to be law enforcement in Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) jackets at what it said was Omar's Washington, D.C. residence. HSI, a division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), executed a search warrant authorized by a judge, according to the Justice Department. The department said the action is part of an ongoing federal investigation and did not provide further details.
It was unclear what the nature of the warrant was. Neither Omar's office, the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment from The Guardian. Fox News, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, reported that agents were examining immigration paperwork that the congresswoman's father filled out when she was a child.
Justice Department statement
A Justice Department spokesperson gave Fox News Digital the following statement:
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.
Background of the scrutiny
Omar, 44, represents Minnesota's 5th congressional district, which includes Minneapolis. She was first elected to the House in 2018 and is part of The Squad, a group of progressive congresswomen who oppose the Republican president. She is the first Somali American elected to Congress. Along with Representative Rashida Tlaib, she became the first Muslim congresswoman in the United States in 2019.
Trump and key allies have accused Omar of obtaining citizenship fraudulently, and have openly discussed denaturalizing her and expelling her from the country. Omar has consistently denied the accusations.
Political timing
The search took place three weeks before the midterm Election Day. Axios described it as a substantial escalation of the Trump administration's ongoing fight with Omar, who has condemned the immigration crackdown in her state. The Guardian expects the search to prompt new accusations that Trump is using the government for his own political ends.
