Minneapolis supporters rally for Ilhan Omar after D.C. home search

(FOX 9) - A search at Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home sparked a rally in Minneapolis and immediate political reaction Monday.

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐎𝐦𝐚𝐫

The search quickly became a local political flashpoint in Minneapolis, where supporters rallied behind her. Supporters gathered Monday at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis to back Omar. One of the main complaints was the timing, with the action happening 22 days before the election while the allegations are more than 30 years old.

Timeline:

Sources close to the investigation told FOX News the case is tied to immigration paperwork filled out by Omar’s late father in the 1990s when she was a child.

𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝

What we know:

FOX News reported the search warrant is part of an ongoing criminal investigation, but few details have been released.

The New York Times cited a source familiar with the search warrant, which was signed by a judge, and said the alleged crimes being investigated included false statements and fraud in immigration paperwork.

What they're saying:

Democrats called the search a new example of President Trump turning federal law enforcement into a weapon to target his political enemies. 

In a post on the site formerly known as Twitter, Omar said, "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. I will not be silenced."

Republican Tom Emmer said, "Accountability is coming." 

Omar’s congressional opponent John Nagel posted, "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."

Trump said, "I think she's a terrible person, but that's really up to the DOJ, I have nothing to do with it."

What we don't know:

The DOJ has not made a public statement about the search.

Because of that, it is not clear how the department might justify taking action 22 days before the election.

Historically, the DOJ typically follows a 60-day rule and does not release information or carry out searches like this within 60 days of an election unless there is no way around it. The department has not explained whether an exception applies here.

PoliticsIlhan OmarMinnesotaElectionImmigration