WASHINGTON — Rep. Ilhan Omar announced she plans to vacate her Washington, D.C., residence following a multi-hour search of the property by federal law enforcement officers, citing concerns over her personal safety.
The Minnesota Democrat detailed the decision during an interview Wednesday with MS NOW, publicly addressing the operation for the first time. Omar said Homeland Security investigators arrived at her residence around 6 a.m., banged on the door, and spent four to five hours searching the premises before taking 17 items, Al Jazeera reported. Among the seized belongings were cellphones, notebooks, a vintage camera, and a children’s book written in Somali.
“It took us a while to figure out what was actually happening after we opened the door,” Omar said during the interview, adding that although agents were “intrusive but polite,” the experience left her feeling unsafe living at the address.
Investigation and name dispute
The Justice Department described the action as part of an “ongoing federal criminal investigation” conducted pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant. The probe focuses on potential immigration fraud, including questions surrounding representations made on past immigration forms, according to reports by NBC News and WBFF.
Scrutiny escalated Wednesday after U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro submitted a federal court motion opposing media requests to unseal the warrant records. The court filing identified the congresswoman as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar,” Fox News reported.
Multiple unnamed sources familiar with the matter told Fox News and the New York Post that investigators suspect Omar was born with the surname Elmi, which matches the surname of her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. A spokesperson for Omar vigorously rejected those assertions, calling the report completely false and stating that Ilhan Omar is indeed her real name.
Conservatives have long circulated unverified allegations that Omar married Elmi, whom political opponents allege was her brother, to assist him in securing immigration benefits. Omar has consistently dismissed the claims as baseless smears and conspiracy theories. When asked during her Wednesday television appearance whether there was any truth to claims of a familial link to Elmi, Omar replied, “Not to my knowledge.” Her office subsequently stated that she was answering sarcastically after years of denying the rumors.
Political fallout before midterms
The federal inquiry has quickly sparked heated rhetoric ahead of the Nov. 3 congressional elections, where Omar is campaigning for reelection to her Minneapolis-area House seat. Congressional Democrats sharply criticized the timing of the search, pointing out that Justice Department policy traditionally discourages visible investigative actions concerning political candidates immediately before an election.
President Donald Trump seized on the legal developments during a Thursday campaign event in Iowa, arguing Omar should step down from Congress if she used a false name when taking her oath of office, the New York Post reported. Trump called the congresswoman a “scammer” and claimed her seat ought to be considered vacated.
Omar, who arrived in the United States as a refugee at age 12 and gained citizenship in 2000, has asserted that the investigation represents political weaponization aimed at silencing outspoken critics of the administration. She argued that attempting to allege she orchestrated complex immigration fraud as an adolescent was absurd.
Investigators have issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas as part of the broader examination, according to The Wall Street Journal. Omar has not been charged with any crime, and it remains uncertain whether the Justice Department will seek an indictment as the review continues.
