Ilhan Omar
Ilhan Omar

WASHINGTON — Federal agents searched the Washington-area home of Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar early Monday as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, the Justice Department said, an unusual step involving a sitting member of Congress just over three weeks before the midterm elections.

Homeland Security Investigations agents carried out the search under a judicially authorized warrant obtained by the Justice Department, according to a department statement. The department did not disclose the focus of the investigation.

"This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation," the Justice Department said.

Sources told ABC News that the investigation relates to Omar's immigration paperwork. Fox News Digital, citing unidentified sources, reported that the probe centers on immigration documents completed by Omar's late father when she was a child.

No charges have been announced. A search warrant requires a judge to find probable cause that evidence of a crime may be found, but it does not mean the subject of a search has committed a crime.

A representative for Omar did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

A probe signaled for months

Monday's search follows months of public statements by senior administration officials indicating that Omar was under scrutiny.

In May, Vice President JD Vance said the Justice Department was looking into allegations of immigration fraud involving Omar.

"We're going to investigate it. We're going to take a look at it," Vance said at the time, adding that he did not want to prejudge the investigation. Earlier in the year, Vance had said in a podcast interview that he believed Omar had committed immigration fraud.

In September, White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed in a Fox News interview that Homeland Security Investigations was conducting a criminal investigation involving Omar, though he declined to discuss evidence or possible charges.

Homan said the law applies to everyone, "regardless if they're a congressman or not," and rejected suggestions that the investigation was politically motivated. He said denaturalization, the process of revoking citizenship obtained through fraud, is a serious legal process that has been used many times.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also suggested last month that his department was examining questions about Omar's family's immigration history.

Omar denies wrongdoing

Omar has denied allegations of immigration fraud. She has broadly rejected claims about her personal history as "disgusting lies."

After Vance's comments earlier this year, Omar's chief of staff called the accusations a "ridiculous lie" and accused the administration of trying to distract from its own political problems.

The allegations against Omar, including claims about her marriage history and immigration records, have circulated among her critics since before she was first elected to Congress. Omar has consistently disputed them, and no evidence supporting the claims has been made public.

Republicans have also raised questions about Omar's finances after she significantly amended her financial disclosure forms earlier this year. Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the House Republican whip, criticized the revisions.

Background

Omar, 44, represents Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis. Born in Somalia, she fled the country's civil war as a child and came to the United States at age 12. She has said she became a U.S. citizen at 17.

First elected to the House in 2018, Omar was one of the first two Muslim women to serve in Congress. She is a member of the progressive group of lawmakers known as "The Squad" and has been a prominent critic of President Donald Trump and his administration's immigration enforcement policies, including a large-scale enforcement operation in Minnesota.

Political context

The search came a little more than three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, in which Republicans are working to defend their narrow majorities in the House and Senate.

The timing is likely to fuel competing narratives. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of using federal law enforcement to target political opponents. Administration officials have said investigations follow the law and that elected officials are not exempt from scrutiny.

Omar has long been a frequent target of Trump, who has repeatedly criticized her in harsh terms, including remarks about the Somali American community that drew condemnation from civil rights groups. Omar has called the president's focus on her an "unhealthy and creepy obsession."

Omar has also said she and her family have faced death threats over the years. Last month, a Minnesota man who squirted vinegar on her at a public event was sentenced to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a federal official.

What comes next

The Justice Department did not say what investigators were seeking or whether anything was seized. It also did not say whether Omar was present during the search.

The case is likely to face close scrutiny from both parties in Congress. Republicans have argued that allegations of immigration fraud deserve a full investigation, while Democrats are likely to press the administration to explain the basis for the warrant and the timing of the search.

Any criminal case would require prosecutors to present evidence to a grand jury and, ultimately, to prove allegations in court.