Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) stated Tuesday that federal agents returned most of the property seized from her Washington, D.C., residence on October 12. The Minnesota Democrat, speaking on Capitol Hill for the first time since the federal investigations became public, indicated that authorities have not explained the basis for the searches or the ongoing probes. Agents had reportedly confiscated her cellphone, passport, and computer during the raid.
"I’ve gotten most of them back." Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
The revelation came during an interview with Fox News Digital following a roughly two-hour closed-door meeting in Omar's Longworth House Office Building office. When asked if any federal agency had provided an exact basis for the investigations, Omar responded, "No, no." She also expressed uncertainty regarding the number of investigations involving her and whether the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are conducting independent inquiries. "I’m not sure," Omar said. "You probably have more details on that."
Two federal probes into Representative Omar are publicly known. Sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Fox News Digital that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of DHS, is examining whether Omar or her father submitted fraudulent immigration paperwork. The second investigation, confirmed publicly by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, focuses on alleged discrepancies in Omar's financial disclosures.
The initial public indication of these investigations emerged when Fox News Digital reported that HSI agents were executing a federal search warrant at Omar's home. During that search, agents reportedly took the congresswoman’s cellphone, passport, and computer. Fox News Digital later confirmed that investigators also collected a sample of her DNA as part of the inquiry into her immigration paperwork.
Representative Omar was born in Somalia and arrived in the United States in 1995 as a refugee, having spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya after fleeing civil war in her home country. The scrutiny surrounding her immigration history has intensified amidst these new developments.
Additional details have surfaced since the October raid, including a federal court filing that identifies Omar as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi.” This last name matches that of her ex-husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, whom various reports have alleged is her brother. The nature of this marriage has been a subject of public debate and scrutiny for years. Ahmed Nur Said Elmi recently reappeared in reports following the publication of an academic paper earlier this year, in which he reportedly described himself as a "gay man," according to the Daily Caller. When Fox News Digital questioned Omar about this paper and her ex-husband's self-description in August 2026, she did not provide an answer.
Omar's return to Capitol Hill follows her successful re-election to a fifth term, representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. Voters in her district sent her back to Washington despite both federal inquiries remaining open and unresolved. As of now, neither investigation has concluded, and Omar maintains that she has not been informed of the specific grounds for either probe. The ongoing nature of these investigations continues to draw national attention to the Representative and the integrity of public office.
