Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant at the Washington, D.C., residence of Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) on Monday morning. Agents seized her phone and removed several boxes from the home as part of an ongoing federal investigation. The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a statement confirming the operation, stating, "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 investigation."
"The big picture here is a federal judge in Washington, D.C., signed off on a search warrant. That means there’s probable cause that a federal crime was committed, and there would be evidence of that crime in the area to be searched, which in this case was Representative Omar’s home." Jonathan Fahey, Former Assistant U.S. Attorney
The approval of a federal search warrant by a judge signifies that probable cause exists to believe a federal crime has been committed and that evidence of that crime would be found in the area to be searched. In this instance, the warrant focused on Representative Omar's home. According to NBC News, citing two individuals familiar with the investigation, the probe involves potential immigration-related crimes. These alleged offenses include conspiracy and false statements made in immigration paperwork.
Further reporting from The New York Times indicated that authorities have also issued several subpoenas related to the investigation. These subpoenas reportedly target members of Omar’s family and other associates, including her sister, Sahra Noor. A source reportedly told the New York Post that "compelling evidence" of a federal crime exists, though specific details were not publicly disclosed.
The investigation appears to touch upon unverified claims that Representative Omar may have misrepresented her age to obtain U.S. citizenship. Omar's own account, as reported by the New York Post, states she received automatic U.S. citizenship in 2000 at age 17, as a minor child of a naturalized parent, her father Nur Said Mohamed Elmi, who arrived in the U.S. in 1995 from Somalia. Congressional records currently list Omar's birth date as October 1982, which would align with her being 17 in 2000.
However, claims that she was older at the time of her naturalization first surfaced publicly in 2019. Minnesota resident A.J. Kern asserted in a video that Omar was actually 18 or 19 in 2000. Kern also claimed that the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library’s website changed Omar’s official birth year from 1981 to 1982 two days after his video gained traction, pointing to archived versions of the site as evidence of the revision. These claims remain unverified by official federal sources.
Federal officials had previously indicated interest in Omar's background. In September, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin addressed the possibility of action against her and her relatives. Secretary Mullin stated, "There may be more to this — the whole family migration and possibly some illegal activity for them to come to the United States to begin with. But all of this, we’re investigating." He emphasized that any case moving forward would be based on evidence, not politics. "If we actually move a case forward, it’s not a political case. It’s actually a case because they did things wrong," Mullin clarified.
Secretary Mullin also elaborated on the potential consequences for immigrants who provide false information to the government. "If you decided to break the law, or lie on the information you gave the United States … but you didn’t tell us who you actually were; you lied about certain things, about your application, those things, there’s no expiration to that," he continued. He further outlined the severe outcome of proven wrongdoing, stating, "If we can prove it — that you shouldn’t have been here in the first place, we’ll deport you."
As of the current reporting, no criminal charges have been filed against Representative Omar, and the published reports did not include a response from her regarding the search or the ongoing investigation. The Department of Justice continues to characterize the investigation as active and ongoing. The execution of a federal search warrant on a sitting member of Congress signifies a serious development in the federal inquiry.
