Federal Search of Minnesota Lawmaker’s Home Raises Questions
Federal agents searched the Washington, D.C., home of Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar as part of a criminal investigation. A court approved the search warrant, but authorities have not explained what the investigation is about.
The search has drawn attention because public figures have questioned Omar’s citizenship in recent years. Omar became a U.S. citizen in 2000, after arriving in the country from Kenya. She has called the search an effort to intimidate a political opponent. President Donald Trump has denied taking part in the investigation.
What Investigators Have Examined
Homeland Security Investigations agents searched Omar’s home on October 12. Omar and her husband were there at the time. Items taken from the home reportedly included a phone, notebooks, computers and a passport. Investigators have also sent more than a dozen subpoenas to members of her family.
The investigation is believed to examine details of Omar’s citizenship application, including her age when she came to the United States. She arrived in 1995. The central question appears to be whether her father listed her as 17 on an application when she was actually 18.
That difference could matter because an 18-year-old may have needed to complete a separate immigration process. Investigators have not publicly confirmed the focus of their work.
Omar’s marriages and finances have also faced scrutiny. Trump and others have accused her of marrying her brother to gain citizenship. She has denied wrongdoing and called the investigations against her baseless. A U.S. attorney has said her office is examining Omar’s financial disclosures, including records connected to her current marriage to former Democratic political adviser Timothy Mynett.
Republicans have examined Omar’s immigration history before. Earlier this year, a congresswoman from South Carolina tried, without success, to obtain Omar’s records through a subpoena.
Omar’s Arrival in the United States
Omar was born in Somalia. She and her family fled the country and spent time in a refugee camp in Kenya. She came to the United States with her father and other family members in 1995, then became a naturalized citizen five years later.
Mynett has said Omar came to the country at age 12 as a refugee fleeing war. He has also said he has no concerns about her citizenship.
The age listed on Omar’s citizenship paperwork is now part of the questions surrounding the investigation. If she was already 18 when her father applied for citizenship, she may have had to pursue her own application rather than being included as a minor.
Questions About Her Father’s Past
Omar’s father, Nur Omar Mohamed, first lived with his family in Washington after they arrived in the United States. The family later moved to Minnesota. He worked as a cabdriver and postal worker. Omar described him as an educator. He died in 2020 from complications related to COVID-19.
Claims about Mohamed’s earlier life have added another layer to the controversy. A researcher has alleged that he falsely presented himself as a refugee and served in Somalia’s military under former President Siad Barre. The researcher said Mohamed held the rank of full colonel and disputed Omar’s description of him as an educator.
Barre took power in a coup in 1969 and was removed from power in 1991. Some supporters viewed him as a leader who backed African independence causes. His critics accused his government of serious human rights abuses.
Could Omar Lose Her Citizenship?
The federal government has pursued efforts to detain and deport people suspected of living in the country unlawfully. Some permanent residents and green card holders have also faced immigration action.
The government can also ask a court to cancel the citizenship of someone who became a citizen through naturalization. This process is called denaturalization. To do so, the Justice Department must file a lawsuit and show that the person lied about an important fact during the citizenship process.
The investigation into Omar could be gathering information for such a case, but no public decision or court filing described in the available details establishes that she will lose her citizenship.
Omar’s Response
Trump has repeatedly said Omar should be sent back to Somalia. At a rally in Ohio, he mentioned the search of her home and called her a “disaster.” He also criticized Somalis living in the United States. Some people in the crowd responded by chanting for deportations.
After agents searched her home, Omar said she was safe. She described the search as an attempt to target political opponents and use federal law enforcement for political purposes.
The search took place only weeks before the November midterm elections. Some of Omar’s Democratic colleagues condemned it, saying she had faced repeated personal attacks and accusations they considered unfounded. Federal authorities have not publicly detailed the evidence behind the investigation or said what actions may follow.