Ilhan Omar vacates Washington home after federal agents seize 17 items
U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar announced she is moving out of her Washington, D.C., home after federal agents searched the residence last week during an investigation into her family’s immigration paperwork. The progressive Minnesota Democrat stated in her first interview since the raid that intense attention surrounding the search made her feel unsafe in the residence, while maintaining full confidence that she committed no wrongdoing.
Federal Agents Seize Items in Early Morning Raid
Homeland Security investigators carrying a search warrant arrived at the residence around 6 a.m. and searched the property for four to five hours. Agents seized 17 items during the operation, including electronic phones, notebooks, a Somali language children’s book, and a vintage camera belonging to her husband. Federal authorities have also issued grand jury subpoenas to several of her relatives as part of an inquiry into potential fraud within historical family immigration filings. The Justice Department has confirmed the existence of an ongoing criminal investigation but has declined to outline specific charges or additional evidentiary targets.
Omar arrived in the United States at age 12 after her family obtained asylum, later becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000. Addressing the historical scope of the inquiry, she questioned the rationale of investigating paperwork linked to her childhood arrival, noting the improbability of a 12-year-old orchestrating immigration fraud. Congressional allies criticized the timing of the investigative actions, which occurred weeks before the upcoming November 3 midterm elections, citing long-standing Justice Department guidance against overt enforcement steps immediately preceding an election.
