Washington: Federal agents searched the Washington home of Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar in a dramatic escalation of the Trump administration’s pursuit of the Somali-born representative who is up for re-election in three weeks.
Authorities have been conducting a criminal investigation into Omar over allegations of immigration fraud. The 44-year-old and her family received asylum in the US in the 1990s, and she has served as an elected member of Congress from Minnesota since 2019.
President Donald Trump has called Omar “garbage”, and frequently targets her with abuse, along with the large Somalian community in Minnesota.
“She comes from Somalia,” he told a rally in Tennessee on Saturday. “They don’t have a government, they don’t have police, all they have is crime and squalor.
“These people from Somalia, what they’ve done to Minnesota should never be allowed. Let’s see what happens – JD Vance and our people are looking at it very strongly.”
Homeland Security Investigations agents were seen searching Omar’s Washington home on Monday (US time). Trump’s border tsar Tom Homan confirmed on Fox News that agents executed a judicially approved warrant as part of an ongoing investigation.
Omar told her followers on X that she was OK. “Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponise federal law enforcement,” she wrote.
“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.”
Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives called the raid “deeply disturbing” and said it raised serious questions about the weaponisation of the federal government against Trump’s adversaries.
Trump and far-right extremists had subjected Omar to vile personal attacks and baseless accusations for years, they said.
“Now, less than 30 days until the midterm election, his violent mass deportation machine has descended upon the home of a duly elected Member of Congress and her family.”
The Department of Justice has historically avoided public investigative actions involving a candidate within 60 days of a primary or general election.
Trump has repeatedly claimed Omar married her brother as part of an immigration scam, which she denies. At the Republican midterm convention in Dallas last month, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said it was a fact.
“We know that she married her brother to try to bring him into the United States,” he told right-wing commentator Benny Johnson in an interview. “There may be more to this … Something’s going to happen. This is an ongoing investigation.”
Separately, Vance told Johnson on a podcast the administration believed Omar had definitely committed immigration fraud, and that he and White House deputy chief-of-staff Stephen Miller were working out how to build the case against her.
Minnesota, under Democratic Governor Tim Walz, has been an epicentre for opposition to Trump, particularly on immigration. Federal immigration agents shot and killed to US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in that state early this year.
It is also home to the highest Somali population in the US – about 2 per cent. Last week, Trump urged the people of Minnesota to “fight back” because the state was being “taken over by Somali immigrants”.
“You have been robbed, and abandoned by your State Government. Your Governor is an incompetent thief who doesn’t want to get involved,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“The Somalians should not be allowed to get away with what they are doing. They view you as weak and stupid people. Fight back Minnesota, fight back! If you need, the Federal Government will come to your rescue.”
With AP
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