Ilhan Omar to leave Washington DC home after federal raid, citing safety
The Minnesota congresswoman says she no longer feels safe after federal agents searched her home as part of an immigration fraud investigation.
At a glance
- Ilhan Omar says she will move out of her Washington, DC home, citing safety concerns after a federal raid last week.
- Agents seized 17 items in a search tied to an immigration fraud investigation; Omar denies any wrongdoing.
- The raid drew Democratic criticism over its timing ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar says she will move out of her home in Washington, DC, after federal agents searched the property last week as part of an investigation into alleged immigration fraud.
Omar told MS NOW in an interview on Wednesday that the raid had made her feel unsafe in the house. It was her first public comment on the search.
A Justice Department spokesperson described the search as carried out with a "judicially authorised search warrant" and as part of an "ongoing federal criminal investigation". NBC News, citing one person familiar with the matter, reported that potential future charges against Omar could include conspiracy and making false statements in her immigration paperwork. Omar denies wrongdoing and accuses the administration of political intimidation.
"I'm confident in the fact that I didn't do anything wrong," she said.
Details of the search
Omar said she woke at about 6am to Homeland Security investigators knocking at her door with a warrant. The search lasted four or five hours and agents seized 17 items, she said, including phones, notebooks, a Somali-language children's book and a vintage camera her husband had received as a gift. She described the agents as "intrusive but polite", saying they logged what they took and put everything else back in its place.
Born in Somalia, Omar came to the United States with her family at age 12 after they obtained asylum, and became a US citizen five years later, in 2000. She questioned the premise of an immigration case against her, saying it would be a "huge undertaking" to indict a 12-year-old for conspiring to defraud immigration services.
Political context
The progressive Minnesota Democrat has been a frequent critic and target of President Donald Trump, who earlier this week called her "sick" and "dishonest" and criticised her birthplace. Trump has on multiple occasions pushed for the prosecution of perceived political enemies.
For years Omar, who is Muslim, has been the target of right-wing conspiracy theories about her immigration status, including allegations that she had married her brother. She has repeatedly denied the allegations as "disgusting lies".
The search drew sharp condemnation from congressional Democrats, who also questioned its timing. The Justice Department has historically avoided overt investigative actions involving candidates in the immediate run-up to an election. Omar is running for re-election on November 3 in a deep blue district in Minneapolis and is expected to retain her seat.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- Why did federal agents search Ilhan Omar's home?
- A Justice Department spokesperson said officers executed a judicially authorised search warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation into alleged immigration fraud. Omar denies wrongdoing.
- What did agents seize from Ilhan Omar's home?
- Omar said the search lasted four or five hours and agents seized 17 items, including phones, notebooks, a Somali-language children's book and a vintage camera her husband had received as a gift.
- Is Ilhan Omar running for re-election?
- Yes. She is running for re-election on November 3 in a deep blue district in Minneapolis and is expected to retain her seat.
