Federal agents search Ilhan Omar's home 22 days before midterms

Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations searched Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's Washington DC home on 12 October 2026 under a judicially authorised search warrant, a US Justice Department spokesperson said. The search is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation, the spokesperson said, though no further details were given. A BBC crew saw several agents at the home, some carrying boxes to a van. The raid came 22 days before the November midterm elections that will decide control of Congress for the next two years.middleeasteye.net

The Justice Department confirmed the search was tied to a criminal investigation but did not specify the alleged conduct. Fox News, citing unnamed sources, reported the investigation concerns immigration paperwork filed by Omar's late father when she was a child. Border tsar Tom Homan said that Omar was being investigated for unspecified immigration violations and confirmed the Department of Justice was involved. The nature of the criminal investigation remains unclear, and it is not known whether Omar was at the home during the search.

What the search involved

Omar responded on social media hours after the raid, writing 'I'm ok' and calling the search 'an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement.' She added: '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. I will not be silenced.' Her communications director, Jacklyn Rogers, called the raid 'an outrageous abuse of power' and said the congresswoman 'has done nothing wrong.'

House Democratic leaders — minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, party whip Katherine Clark, and caucus chair Pete Aguilar — issued a joint statement calling the raid 'deeply disturbing' and saying it 'raises serious questions about the continued corrupt weaponization of the federal government' against Trump's adversaries. They vowed to 'deliver full accountability for the rogue abuse of power' from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. California Representative Ro Khanna said it was 'simply chilling that they are targeting political opponents this way.'

Other Democrats went further. Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California called the search 'fascism in the extreme' and 'an unadulterated abuse of power.' Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington state called it a 'disgusting abuse of power from an out of control president.' Representative Delia C Ramirez of Illinois called for the Department of Homeland Security to be dismantled. The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the raid as 'an obvious act of political persecution.' Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said Trump was 'abusing his power to go after political opponents weeks before an election.'

Why Democrats called it political

The raid's timing raised questions because the Justice Department has a longstanding policy of refraining from most enforcement action that is 'likely to raise an issue or the perception' it is being brought to affect an election or disadvantage a candidate. The search came 22 days before the midterms. Democrats noted that former FBI director James Comey opened an investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server 11 days before the 2016 presidential race, which some Democrats still blame for her loss. Minnesota Senator Tina Smith called the raid 'a transparent attempt to interfere in our elections.'

President Trump distanced himself from the investigation while attacking Omar. Speaking to reporters on 12 October 2026, Trump said he had 'nothing to do' with the Justice Department's investigation, describing Omar as a 'complainer' and a 'terrible person.' He said of the Somali-born congresswoman: 'She comes from a country that is a non-country. And then she comes over here and she complains about our Constitution.' Trump has previously suggested Omar 'should go back' to Somalia and should be deported.

The 22-day gap before polling day

Republicans offered a different reaction. Representative Tom Emmer, who also represents Minnesota, said: 'Nobody is above the law. We look forward to learning more details about this raid and investigation. ACCOUNTABILITY IS COMING!' Omar's immigration records have been scrutinised by Republicans before; earlier in 2026, Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina unsuccessfully filed a subpoena for her records. Last month, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told a conservative podcaster 'something is going to happen,' making allegations of marital fraud against Omar.

Omar has denied the allegations. She came to the US as a refugee in 1995 and has been a US citizen for nearly three decades, winning re-election two years ago with 74% of the vote in her Minneapolis-area district. She is the first Somali American elected to the House. Last month, in a campaign fundraising email, she said: 'I'm not at all worried about these investigations, because they are complete shams.' Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council noted that Section 212(k) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows immigrants who obtained status through unknowing fraud to avoid losing a green card.

The search is unlikely to be resolved before voters go to the polls. The midterm elections on 3 November will decide the balance of power in Congress for the next two years, and House Democrats have vowed to pursue accountability from the Justice Department and Homeland Security. Omar faces a re-election battle in that contest. The Justice Department has not announced any charges, and the specific conduct under investigation has not been disclosed beyond Fox News's report that it concerns immigration paperwork filed by her late father.