Federal agents carried out a predawn raid on the home of Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar as part of an expanding investigation into her decades-old immigration paperwork, according to three people familiar with the case.
The probe focuses on whether the Somali-born congresswoman or her relatives provided false information when they entered the United States as refugees in the mid-1990s or during the process of becoming American citizens. The sealed search warrant listed possible crimes including conspiracy, false statements on immigration documents and immigration fraud.
One source said a potential outcome of the investigation could be an effort to strip Omar of her US citizenship and deport her. Both President Donald Trump and his Homeland Security chief have previously raised the idea of denaturalisation in her case.
Omar has denied any wrongdoing and described the raid as an act of political intimidation. Her spokesperson had no immediate comment. The Department of Homeland Security referred questions to the Justice Department, which declined to discuss the specific investigation but stated that citizenship must be obtained lawfully and honestly.
Agents from Homeland Security Investigations seized Omar’s personal cell phone during the search. Prosecutors also issued more than a dozen subpoenas, including at least one to a relative. A sister of the congresswoman spoke voluntarily with federal agents.
Denaturalisation cases have historically been rare and usually involve serious crimes or human rights violations. Former officials noted it is unusual for such probes to involve search warrants because the government already holds the relevant immigration records.
Omar was 12 when her family arrived in the United States in 1995 after fleeing civil war in Somalia. She became a naturalised citizen in 2000. Her background has long been a target of political attacks, especially from President Trump, who has repeatedly questioned her heritage and suggested she should lose her citizenship.
The timing of the raid, just three weeks before an election in which Omar is seeking re-election, has raised concerns about the use of federal law enforcement against political opponents. Courts protect legislative materials of members of Congress, and the magistrate judge who approved the warrant ordered special screening procedures to prevent review of such records.
