Ilhan Omar reveals details of federal raid, plans to move out of DC home
Rep. Ilhan Omar slams federal search on home
Federal investigators searched the Washington home of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar on Monday, seizing her phone and taking away boxes of evidence as part of an effort to strip her citizenship and deport her, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Omar has denied all wrongdoing, calling the search an "outrageous abuse of power" and an attempt to target political enemies, while immigration experts note the legal burden on the government to prove fraud in court is exceedingly high.
(FOX 9) - Rep. Ilhan Omar is speaking out about the federal raid on her Washington, D.C., home, sharing details about the search and revealing plans to move out over safety concerns.
Ilhan Omar describes federal raid
The backstory:
Federal agents searched Omar's Washington, D.C., home on Oct. 12 as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations involving her immigration and citizenship paperwork.
During an interview with MS Now on Wednesday, Omar described the search as "intrusive but polite" and shared details about what happened.
What they're saying:
Omar recalled federal agents pounding on the doors early in the morning. She said her first thought was that "something was on fire" and that it took some time to understand what was happening.
"Well, you don't show up to somebody else's house that early in the morning unless you're trying to freak them out," Omar said. "And it obviously did freak all of us out."
Omar said her husband answered the door, and agents presented a search warrant after she asked to see one. According to Omar, as many as 25 agents participated in the search, which lasted approximately four to five hours.
What agents took:
Omar questioned the length of the search, noting the warrant largely focused on electronic devices, and described the items seized as "bizarre." Agents reportedly took 17 items, including several phones, notebooks belonging to her husband, a camera and a Somali-language children's book.
"I don't think anybody still has an understanding of what is happening. I mean, it doesn't make any sense that they would raid a house to take my phone … So to come that early to take my phone just sounded obnoxious. It still sounds obnoxious."
Fox News previously reported that agents seized Omar's passport and that investigators obtained her DNA as part of the federal investigation. However, during Wednesday's interview, Omar denied that agents collected DNA during the search of her home.
Plans to move out of DC home
Dig deeper:
The Minnesota congresswoman said she plans to move out of her Washington, D.C. home, citing concerns about her family's safety.
"Obviously, I can't continue to live there," Omar told MS Now. "So, we have to figure out where to move to because our address has been public, and with the death threats that I deal with, it’s no longer going to be feasible to be in that house and have my kids visiting off and on, having people track them."
Omar continues to deny wrongdoing amid the ongoing federal investigation.
"I'm confident in my truth," Omar said. "I'm confident in the fact that I didn't do anything wrong."
The Source: This story uses information from Rep. Ilhan Omar's Oct. 21, 2026, interview with MS Now and previous FOX 9 reporting.