US immigration agents searched the home of Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar on Monday morning as part of a "criminal investigation."
A US Justice Department spokesperson told the BBC that Homeland Security Investigations agents “executed a warrant-issued search warrant” for the home in the Washington, D.C., area.
The spokesman added that the search was "part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation," but no other details were provided.
Omar was born in Somalia and took refuge in the United States at the age of eight to escape war. She was first elected to Congress in 2018, and is seeking re-election next month.
Representative Omar - known for her outspoken criticism of President Donald Trump - described the search as "an attempt to target political opponents and use federal law enforcement as a weapon."
It is noteworthy that the US Congress is currently in recess, and it is not clear whether Omar was present at the house at the time of the search.
A BBC team spotted a number of agents at the house, some of whom were transferring boxes to a small truck. Fox News was the first to publish the news of the inspection, and said that an investigation was underway with the representative regarding immigration papers submitted by her late father when she was a child.
The nature of the criminal investigation remains unclear, but it is not the first time her immigration records have come under scrutiny by Republicans. Earlier this year, her fellow congresswoman, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, submitted a request to obtain her records, but her request was denied.
Last month, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullen told a conservative podcaster, “Something will happen,” accusing Omar of marriage fraud. In a separate context, the official in charge of the border file in the White House, Tom Homan, told Fox News that Omar is under investigation for unspecified immigration violations.
Omar, a Democrat, denied the allegations last month. “I'll repeat it again to be as clear as possible: I'm not at all concerned about these investigations, because they are an absolute farce,” she said in a campaign fundraising email, seen by the BBC.
Omar has been subjected to attacks from Trump, with the president previously suggesting that she “should go back” to Somalia and that she should be deported; Note that obtaining American citizenship is a prerequisite for holding a seat in the US House of Representatives.
Omar responded to Trump's insults and attacks, calling them an "unhealthy and scary obsession."
The president also made negative statements toward the Somali-American community. Last week, he wrote on social media that Minnesota was “being controlled by Somali immigrants” and said that “Minnesotans must fend for themselves.”
Republicans welcomed the inspection process. Minnesota State Representative Tom Emmer said: “No one is above the law. We look forward to learning more details about this raid and investigation. Accountability is coming!”
Omar is the first Somali-American elected to the US House of Representatives, and she represents a constituency in the Minneapolis area. She and Michigan State Representative Rashida Tlaib were the first two Muslim women to be elected to Congress.
It won the 2024 elections with 74 percent of the vote. The timing of Monday's raid, 22 days before November's midterm elections, which will determine the balance of power for the next two years, is likely to raise concerns among Democrats.
