HSI agents searched Omar's Washington, D.C. home on Monday, 12 October 2026, under a court-approved warrant, and the Wall Street Journal reports that her cellphone and passport were seized.
The Wall Street Journal reports investigators aim to build a case to strip Omar of citizenship and deport her, focusing on whether her age was misstated when she was naturalised in 2000.
More than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to some of Omar's relatives, have been issued in Minnesota, according to a source who spoke to the Associated Press.
Omar calls the search an attempt to target political enemies, and the probe comes three weeks before the 3 November midterms in which she is seeking reelection.
Homeland Security Investigations agents searched the Washington, D.C. home of Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar on Monday, 12 October 2026, while Omar and her husband were inside. The Justice Department said a court had approved the search warrant and described the action as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. According to the Wall Street Journal, agents seized Omar's cellphone, notebooks, personal computers and passport. The search took place three weeks before the 3 November midterms, in which Omar is seeking reelection to the seat she has held since 2018.
The scope of the probe has not been made public. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has suggested that authorities are examining possible crimes tied to her family's immigration paperwork. The Wall Street Journal reported that the investigation aims to build a case to strip Omar of her US citizenship and ultimately deport her, citing unnamed administration officials. Omar was naturalised in 2000 through her father's naturalisation, and records show she was 17 at the time. Investigators are reportedly checking whether Omar or her father misstated her birth date so she could qualify as a minor, since children under 18 could qualify through a parent's naturalisation. Similar allegations were reportedly reviewed under the Biden administration, which did not find enough evidence to continue.
More than a dozen grand jury subpoenas have been issued, including to some of Omar's relatives, according to a source who spoke to the Associated Press. The grand jury is collecting evidence in Minnesota on possible fraud in Omar's immigration paperwork. Jeanine Pirro, the US Attorney for Washington, D.C., said on Tuesday, 13 October, in a Fox News interview that several investigations are under way, and her office is also examining Omar's financial disclosures. Her husband, former Democratic political consultant Timothy Mynett, told Fox News that he has "no concerns" about her citizenship. Omar has called the investigations into her "complete shams".
“If there was a crime that was committed, it will be prosecuted.”
Omar said in a statement on X that the search was an attempt to target political enemies and weaponise federal law enforcement. Democrats condemned the search and accused the administration of using federal power for political ends. Omar's office told the Wall Street Journal that Trump wanted to eliminate one of the most effective progressive voices in Congress, and it said there was no evidence behind the allegations. Trump has denied any role in the matter. In her X statement, Omar wrote:
“For 10 years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation.”
Federal law allows the government to revoke naturalised citizenship in limited cases, such as when it was obtained illegally, through deliberate misrepresentation, or by concealing facts that could have affected eligibility. Citizens who were US citizens at birth generally cannot be stripped of their citizenship, according to Axios. Justice Department practice has traditionally been to avoid public investigative steps involving a candidate within 60 days of a primary or general election. Omar has represented Minnesota's 5th District, which includes Minneapolis, since 2018. None of the reporting describes any charges having been filed.
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The Justice Department confirmed a court-approved search of the Minnesota Democrat's Washington home on 12 October, and more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas have followed, including to relatives.
AI text based on reports by BBC, The Independent, ΣΚΑΪ and other publishers. Changed . How it is made