Federal agents search Ilhan Omar’s home ahead of US midterm elections
Federal agents searched Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s Washington, DC home under a court-authorised warrant. Omar’s office accused the administration of political targeting, while the Justice Department said the search was part of an ongoing federal investigation.
cnbc.comRep. Ilhan Omar blasts federal criminal raid on home: 'I will not be silenced'
bbc.comImmigration agents search congresswoman Ilhan Omar's home
aljazeera.comWhy has search of Ilhan Omar’s home before US midterms caused controversy?
Search under federal warrant
Homeland Security Investigations agents searched Ilhan Omar’s Washington, DC home on Monday. The Justice Department said agents executed a “judicially authorized search warrant” as part of an ongoing federal investigation. A BBC crew saw agents carrying boxes from the home to a van.
The department did not specify the investigation’s subject. Reuters, citing a person familiar with the investigation, reported that it concerns alleged immigration fraud, including paperwork completed by Omar’s late father when she was a child. The BBC reported that Fox News had also linked the search to her father’s immigration paperwork.
Omar’s office alleges political targeting
Omar’s spokeswoman, Jacklyn Rogers, called the search “an outrageous abuse of power” and accused the Trump administration of using federal law enforcement to target political enemies. She said Omar “has done nothing wrong”. Trump told reporters he had “nothing to do” with the search and that it was up to the Justice Department.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had said in September that authorities were investigating Omar and her family’s immigration to the United States and suggested the inquiry could lead to deportations. Omar rejected the allegations, describing the investigations as “complete shams” in a campaign fundraising email.
Election timing draws scrutiny
The search took place 22 days before the November 3 midterm elections. House Democratic leaders condemned it and called for transparency and accountability, alleging that the administration was targeting a political adversary.
Justice Department policy discourages investigative actions intended to influence elections or disadvantage candidates. A person familiar with the search told CNBC that the department did not consider it a violation because it was not intended to become public. Former federal prosecutor Randall Eliason told Al Jazeera that the search appeared to break with the department’s practice of avoiding overt investigative steps against candidates close to an election.
