The Justice Department, in an apparent escalation of a long-running investigation involving the immigration history of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has issued subpoenas to members of her family, The New York Times reported Tuesday, as the congresswoman accuses the Trump administration of political retribution for her outspoken criticism of the president.
The subpoenas mark a new development in a probe that has drawn scrutiny after federal agents searched Omar's Washington-area home Monday, an action she condemned as an attempt to intimidate political opponents and weaponize federal law enforcement.
"For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns," Omar wrote on social media Monday. "This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced."
Federal authorities have not publicly laid out the full scope of the investigation or disclosed what evidence investigators are seeking through the subpoenas.
The search Monday was conducted by agents with Homeland Security Investigations under a court-authorized warrant, the Justice Department confirmed, but officials offered few details about the criminal investigation.
The inquiry follows months of public comments by Trump administration officials about allegations involving Omar's immigration history.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last month that an ongoing investigation was examining, in part, whether Omar had lied on immigration forms, adding that "something's going to happen," according to The Associated Press.
Omar, who was born in Somalia and became a naturalized U.S. citizen, has repeatedly rejected allegations concerning her immigration history.
President Donald Trump has frequently criticized Omar, particularly over her immigration views and opposition to his policies.
Trump said Monday he had "nothing to do" with the search, while also calling Omar "totally crooked, personally," according to the AP.
The timing of the search has intensified questions about whether the investigation is politically motivated, coming just weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other top Democrats condemned the search, accusing the administration of targeting Omar and raising concerns about the use of federal law enforcement against a political opponent.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, described the action as political harassment and argued that the timing conflicted with longstanding Justice Department practices concerning politically sensitive investigations before elections.
Justice Department guidance has traditionally cautioned against overt investigative steps intended to influence an election, although the existence of a search warrant does not itself establish that an investigation is politically motivated.
Vice President JD Vance has previously accused Omar of immigration fraud, according to news reports, while the administration has maintained that federal authorities are pursuing an ongoing criminal investigation.
Grand jury subpoenas are used to obtain testimony or documents during investigations and do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing by the people who receive them.
The Justice Department has not publicly announced any criminal charges against Omar in connection with the investigation.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.This article originally appeared on Newsmax at https://www.newsmax.com/politics/DOJ-Subpoenas-Omar-Relatives-in-Escalation-of-Long-Running-Probe/2026/10/13/id/1272674