Immigration Agents Search Home of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar

Omar was first elected to Congress in 2018 and is a fierce critic of US President Donald Trump.

By Kwasi Gyamfi Asido reporting from Washington

US immigration agents searched the home of Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar on Monday morning as part of a "criminal investigation."

A spokesperson for the US Department of Justice told the BBC that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents executed a "judicially authorized search warrant" for the home in the Washington DC area.

The spokesman said the search was "part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation," but did not provide further details.

Born in Somalia, Omar came to the United States at the age of 12 after spending four years in a Kenyan refugee camp. First elected to Congress in 2018, he is running for re-election next month and is a staunch critic of US President Donald Trump.

The US Congress is currently out of session and it is not clear if Omar was at home or not.

A statement from Jacqueline Rogers, Omar's communications director, called the attack "an outrageous abuse of power and an unprecedented escalation in the arming of federal law enforcement to target political enemies."

"The congresswoman has done nothing wrong. No president should be able to use the power of the federal government to intimidate his political enemies," the statement read.

The nature of the criminal investigation remains unclear, but this is not the first time that his immigration record has been scrutinized by Republicans. Earlier this year, Nancy Mays, a member of Congress from South Carolina, unsuccessfully subpoenaed her records.

Omar, a Democrat, denied the allegations last month. "I'll say it again to be as clear as possible: I am not at all concerned about these investigations because they are frauds," he said in an email to the fundraiser, which has been archived by the BBC.

He has been targeted by Trump, with the president previously suggesting he "should go back to Somalia" and should be deported. United States citizenship is required to serve as a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Omar responded to Trump's insults and attacks and described them as "unhealthy and terrible obsessions".

The president also spoke about the Somali American community. Last week, he wrote on social media that Minnesota was "overrun by Somali immigrants" and said "the people of Minnesota must fight back."

Republicans celebrated the search. "No one is above the law," said Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota. "We look forward to learning more details about this attack and the investigation. Responses are forthcoming!"

Omar is the first Somali-American to be elected to the United States House of Representatives, and he represents a district in the Minneapolis area. She and Representative Rashidah Tlaib of Michigan were the first Muslim women elected to Congress.

He won the 2024 election with 74% of the votes. The timing of Monday's attack -- 22 days until November's midterm elections that determine the balance of power for the next two years -- is likely to worry Democrats.

The Justice Department has a long-standing policy of withholding most executive actions that are "likely to raise an issue or impression" intended to influence any election or disadvantage a candidate.