Ilhan Omar to Leave Washington Home After FBI Search, Citing Security Concerns

Omar made the remarks in an interview with MS NOW on Wednesday, her first interview since the search of her residence.

 

According to The Associated Press (AP), federal authorities are investigating allegations of possible immigration-related document fraud involving Omar’s family. As part of the investigation, several members of her family have received grand jury subpoenas, a person familiar with the investigation told AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the ongoing probe publicly.

 

“I’m confident that I have done nothing wrong,” Omar said in the interview.

 

Born in Somalia, Omar is a naturalised US citizen and a progressive Democratic representative from Minnesota. She is a prominent critic of President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called for legal action against political opponents.

 

Omar said the search left her shaken, particularly with the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3. The elections will determine control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

 

She is seeking re-election in a strongly Democratic district centred on Minneapolis, where she is widely considered to have a strong chance of winning.

 

Omar said she woke up at around 6 a.m. to the sound of investigators from the Department of Homeland Security knocking on her door. Investigators subsequently searched the residence under a warrant.

 

The search lasted between four and five hours, during which authorities seized 17 items, including several phones, notebooks, a children’s book written in Somali and an old camera gifted to her by her husband.

 

Describing the investigators’ conduct, Omar said they were polite, although their actions felt intrusive. She added that they documented the items they seized and returned other belongings to their original places.

 

The US Department of Justice has not provided further details about the investigation, stating only that it is a criminal probe.

 

Omar arrived in the United States with her family at the age of 12 after they were granted permission to seek refuge. She became a US citizen in 2000.

 

Addressing the immigration fraud allegations, Omar questioned the plausibility of claims that a 12-year-old child could have orchestrated an elaborate scheme to deceive US immigration authorities.

 

“It would be a huge undertaking to bring a case alleging that a 12-year-old child conspired so cleverly to defraud immigration authorities to come to the United States,” she said, adding that while many 12-year-olds are intelligent, such a scenario would be difficult to believe.

 

Democratic members of Congress have strongly condemned the search of Omar’s home, raising concerns about the timing of the action so close to the midterm elections.

 

Historically, the Justice Department has sought to avoid taking public investigative steps against political candidates immediately before elections, making the timing of the search a subject of scrutiny.