Rep. Ilhan Omar Says She Will ‘Not Be Silenced’ After Federal Agents Raid Her Home

12 Oct 2026, 17:41 by Olivia-Anne Cleary · TIME

Democratic Representative Ilhan ‌Omar of Minnesota on Monday afternoon called the federal agents’ search of her Washington, D.C. home an “attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement.” The Somali-born lawmaker is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and has previously been subjected to his insults.

“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,” said Omar in a social media post. “I will not be silenced.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice told TIME: “Today in the Washington, D.C, 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 criminal investigation.” No further details were provided.

The U.S. Congress is currently not in session and it is unclear if Omar was home at the time of the search.

According to Reuters, 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 that was filled out by her late father when she was a child.

TIME has reached out to the White House and Omar’s office for further information.

While the reason behind the criminal investigation remains unclear, it is not the first time Omar’s immigration records have become a focal point. Earlier this year, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina unsuccessfully filed a subpoena of records pertaining to Omar, who gained her U.S. citizenship in 2000, when she was 17.

In a podcast interview in March, Vice President J.D. Vance, without offering evidence, said "we actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against" the United States. Omar’s office at the time dismissed Vance’s claims as fabricated and defamatory.

Last month, White House border czar Tom Homan told Fox News that Omar was the subject of an "ongoing criminal investigation," but declined to offer specific details.

Democrats condemn raid on Omar’s home

The raid was carried out just over three weeks before the midterm elections, in which the Republicans will grapple to maintain control of the House and Senate. Omar is seeking a fifth two-year term in the House of Representatives.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz led Democrats in denouncing the raid, saying “Americans see this for what it is—President Trump is abusing his power to go after political opponents weeks before an election.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries referred to the raid as “deeply disturbing” and argued that it raises “serious questions about the continued corrupt weaponization of the federal government” against Trump’s adversaries.

"Now, less than 30 days until the midterm election, his violent mass deportation machine has descended upon the home of a duly elected Member of Congress and her family," he said in a statement, which was co-signed by House minority whip Rep. Katherine Clark and Rep. Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic Caucus.

The Justice Department has historically avoided federal prosecutors indicting a candidate or federal law enforcement taking "overt" investigative steps regarding a candidate—such as executing a search warrant—within 60 days of a primary or general election.

Rep. Ro Khanna of California referred to the raid as a "disturbing" development and implored "any decent American" to "stand up and speak out."

Rep. Robert Garcia, also of California and the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said the search is an "outrageous escalation in the President's continued weaponization of our government against anyone who dares to stand up to him."

He added: "Searching a Representative's home over a decades-old immigration filing by her father is an authoritarian abuse of power. No family deserves these continued attacks."

Trump has previously been accused of targeting his political opponents. Last year, he called on former Attorney General Pam Bondi to begin prosecuting California Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, former FBI Director James Comey, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, all of whom led investigations into Trump, political or criminal.

James was charged with mortgage fraud by the Justice Department last year, but a federal judge dismissed out the case. James denied the allegations.

In April, a federal grand jury indicted Comey over a social media post that the Trump Administration characterized as a threat against the President. Comey said he was "innocent" and vowed to fight the case, which has been delayed until early 2027.

Omar has accused Trump of having a “weird” obsession with her

Trump has long targeted Omar and her birthplace Somalia during his anti-immigration speeches and remarks. He has also repeatedly pointed to well-documented instances of “fraud” in Minnesota involving people of Somali ancestry and welfare programs, seemingly blaming the community as a whole rather than the individuals involved.

Last December, while delivering an address in Pennsylvania, Trump referenced Omar during an anti-immigration tirade, claiming she does “nothing but b-tch” and arguing that she comes from a county considered to be “the worst” in the world. “We ought to get her the hell out,” the President said, pausing as members of the crowd chanted “send her back.”

Omar at the time responded by saying Trump’s “obsession” with her is “beyond weird.”

“Since he has no economic policies to tout, he’s resorting to regurgitating bigoted lies instead,” said Omar via social media, reacting to a clip of the President’s speech. “He continues to be a national embarrassment.”

In January, Omar was approached by a man with a syringe during a Town Hall meeting in Minneapolis. The man sprayed her with a substance before being restrained by on-site security. Lab analysis later determined the liquid contained acetic acid and identified it as a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar. Last month, a 56-year-old man named Anthony James Kazmierczak was sentenced to 14 months in prison for the assault.

Shortly after the Town Hall incident, Omar called out Trump’s use of “hateful rhetoric” against her and suggested he had made her a target.

“What the facts have shown, since I’ve gotten into elected office, is that every time the President of the United States has chosen to use hateful rhetoric to talk about me and the community that I represent, my death threats skyrocket,” she said. “I wouldn’t be where I am at today, having to pay for security, having the government to think about providing me security, if Donald Trump wasn’t in office and if he wasn’t so obsessed with me."