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Ilhan Omar's home searched by feds in criminal probe
Federal agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., home Monday morning as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, according to the DOJ. Omar responded by accusing the Trump administration of political intimidation, writing, "I will not be silenced."
(FOX 9) - Minnesota political leaders are weighing in after federal agents searched U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home Monday morning, which the congresswoman called an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement.
Rep. Ilhan Omar's home searched
The backstory:
Federal agents searched the home of Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
"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," a DOJ spokesperson told FOX 9.
Fox News Digital reports the search is connected to a criminal investigation involving Omar's immigration paperwork which was completed by Omar's late father when she was a child.
Federal agents executing a search warrant at Rep. Ilhan Omar's home. (FOX 9)
Rep. Omar: ‘I will not be silenced’
What they're saying:
Rep. Ilhan Omar responded to the federal search of her home Monday morning, accusing President Donald Trump of using federal law enforcement to target political opponents.
"I’m ok. Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. 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," Omar wrote on social media.
"I will not be silenced."
A spokesperson for Omar also condemned the search, accusing the Trump administration of using federal law enforcement to target political opponents.
"This raid by Trump’s DHS is an outrageous abuse of power and an unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement to target political enemies," the statement read.
"For a decade, Donald Trump has relentlessly targeted Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with inflammatory rhetoric, repeatedly putting a target on her back. Now, those attacks have escalated to a pointless federal raid. The Congresswoman has done nothing wrong. No president should be able to use the power of the federal government to intimidate his political enemies."
Minnesota leaders respond
Local perspective:
Several Minnesota political leaders also weighed in on the search, with Democrats condemning the investigation and a Republican congressman expressing support.
Gov. Tim Walz
Gov. Tim Walz criticized the search, writing on X:
"Americans see this for what it is - President Trump is abusing his power to go after political opponents weeks before an election."
Senator Tina Smith
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith condemned the search in a statement:
"I’m outraged by this attack on Representative Omar. Trump and his DOJ have a bizarre obsession with tearing down Minnesota, our leaders and our communities. This latest action, even as voting has already started in Minnesota, is a transparent attempt to interfere in our elections.
"This is their corrupt playbook: Use all the powers of the federal government to attack our leaders. Deploy an out of control, violent federal police force to invade our communities and kill and injure Minnesotans. Launch baseless and hateful attacks on the Somali community.
"And feed Trump’s longstanding obsession with Representative Omar. Minnesota won’t stand for it."
Senator Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar released the following statement:
"The timing of this raid and reports that a White House official was involved raise serious questions that should concern all Americans, regardless of political party."
Rep. Kelly Morrison
Congresswoman Kelly Morrison released the following statement on X:
"An unprecedented escalation and weaponization of the federal government just before an election. See this for what it is - a dangerous abuse of power."
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison condemned the search in a statement:
"This morning's raid on the home of Ilhan Omar, a sitting member of Congress, has all the hallmarks of Donald Trump weaponizing the federal government against a political rival.
"Trump’s action marks a dangerous escalation of his authoritarian and fundamentally un-American behavior. It’s also an extension of his racist attacks on Somali Americans and yet another attempt to throw chaos into our elections. My heart goes out to Congresswoman Omar and her family."
Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan
Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan issued the following statement in an email:
"Minnesotans will not be intimidated by Donald Trump. Neither will Ilhan Omar. Trump’s use of the office of the presidency to attack his political enemies, our elected leaders and the people of this state is abhorrent. Especially three weeks from an election. The country should be outraged."
DFL Party Statement
Minnesota DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom condemned the search in a statement:
"In the United States of America, no President should use the power of the federal government to go after their political opponents. This federal action should alarm every single American, regardless of party.
"Donald Trump is weaponizing the federal government to intimidate citizens, but he can’t take away our voices. He can’t stop us from organizing, doorknocking, or voting. We stand with Congresswoman Omar, we stand with our Somali neighbors — we stand with every person who refuses to be silenced by this federal government. Minnesotans must vote between now and November 3rd — it is the most important action we can take to stand Minnesota strong together."
CIAR National
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned the search of Omar's home, accusing the Trump administration of political persecution.
"The President has spent years obsessively smearing Rep. Omar and demanding that law enforcement target her. So have anti-Muslim extremists who cannot stand the sight of an accomplished Black woman wearing a hijab and speaking up for human rights while serving her constituents in the halls of Congress. Today's raid is undoubtedly a result of those demands," the statement read in part.
The other side:
Meanwhile, some Republicans expressed support for the federal search of Omar's home and called for accountability.
Congressman Tom Emmer
Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer expressed support for the federal search, writing on X:
"Nobody is above the law. HSI just executed a search warrant at Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C. home. We look forward to learning more details about this raid and investigation. ACCOUNTABILITY IS COMING!"
Republican candidate John Nagel
John Nagel, the Republican candidate running against Omar in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, wrote in a statement on X, in part:
"There have been unanswered discrepancies in that record for years. We don’t know yet what the warrant says, but federal agents now have a judge-authorized search warrant in an ongoing criminal investigation… Minnesotans deserve answers, and they deserve a representative whose attention is on serving them rather than answering years of unresolved questions about her own record."
The Source: This story uses previous FOX 9 reporting and social media and email statements from Minnesota leaders and organizations.