U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar to leave Washington home after federal search
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar said Wednesday that she plans to leave her Washington, D.C., home after federal agents searched it last week, saying the attention surrounding the raid has left her feeling unsafe.
- Advertisement -
Federal authorities are examining possible fraud involving immigration paperwork for members of Omar’s family and have issued grand jury subpoenas to some of her relatives, according to a person briefed on the investigation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing case.
Omar, who was born in Somalia and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen, said in her first interview since the search that she was “confident in the fact that I didn’t do anything wrong.”
The Minnesota Democrat, a prominent progressive, has frequently criticized President Donald Trump and has also been a target of his attacks. Trump has repeatedly called for the prosecution of political opponents he views as enemies.
Speaking with MS NOW, Omar said the search unsettled her just weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, which will determine control of the House and Senate. She is seeking reelection in a deep-blue Minneapolis-centered district and is widely expected to keep her seat.
Omar said she awoke at about 6 a.m. to Homeland Security investigators pounding on her door while carrying a warrant. The search lasted four or five hours, and agents took 17 items, including phones, notebooks, a Somali-language children’s book and a vintage camera her husband had received as a gift, she said.
The Justice Department has provided few details about the matter, saying only that it is a criminal investigation.
Omar arrived in the United States with her family at age 12 after they were granted asylum. She became a U.S. citizen five years later, in 2000.
“It would be a huge undertaking to, I suppose, indict a 12-year-old for so cleverly conspiring to defraud immigration services to come to the United States. I’m sure there are a lot of smart 12-year-olds, but that seems like a leap,” she said.
The search prompted strong criticism from congressional Democrats, who also challenged its timing. Historically, the Justice Department has avoided highly visible investigative actions involving candidates in the immediate period before an election.
Omar described the agents as “intrusive but polite,” saying they documented the items they removed and returned everything else to its original place.
