Following an FBI search of her Washington residence earlier this week, Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar is under increased legal and political scrutiny. According to a report, the Trump administration's investigation is looking into whether there are grounds to contest her US citizenship.
As the US midterms draw near, Omar has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and characterized the inquiry as an effort to intimidate a political rival.
According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited US officials and people familiar with the investigation, authorities are examining how Omar obtained US citizenship after arriving in the United States as a refugee from Somalia in 1995.
The report said investigators are also reviewing the immigration records and actions of her late father, Nur Omar Mohamed, who brought the family to the US from a refugee camp in Kenya.
Federal agents searched Omar’s Washington residence on Monday on the direction of the DOJ which described it as an “ongoing federal criminal investigation.”
Also read: Who is Ilhan Omar? Why federal agents searched her home: What we know about the investigation
Investigation widens as subpoenas issued
According to the Wall Street Journal, investigators seized Omar’s mobile phone, passport, notebooks and personal computers during Monday’s search. The newspaper also reported that more than a dozen subpoenas have been issued, including to some of Omar’s relatives, seeking testimony before a federal grand jury in Minnesota.
{{/usCountry}}According to the Wall Street Journal, investigators seized Omar’s mobile phone, passport, notebooks and personal computers during Monday’s search. The newspaper also reported that more than a dozen subpoenas have been issued, including to some of Omar’s relatives, seeking testimony before a federal grand jury in Minnesota.
{{/usCountry}}Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has previously suggested that investigators are reviewing potential issues involving immigration paperwork connected to Omar’s family.
Separately, Washington attorney Jeanine Pirro said during a Fox News interview that multiple investigations involving Omar are underway, including one examining her financial disclosure filings.
“If there was a crime that was committed, it will be prosecuted,” Pirro has said.
Also read: Rep Ilhan Omar's phone seized, relatives subpoenaed amid criminal probe ahead of midterms
Omar condemns probe as political intimidation
Omar responded after Monday’s search by accusing the Trump administration of weaponizing federal law enforcement against political opponents.
“Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement,” she wrote on X. “For 10 years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation,” Omar added. “I will not be silenced.”
Democrats also criticized the timing of the search, noting that it occurred only weeks before the US midterm elections, in which Omar is seeking another term representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.
Omar was first elected to Congress in 2018. She became one of the first Muslim women elected to the House of Representatives and the first African refugee to serve in Congress. She is also a member of the progressive group of lawmakers commonly known as “The Squad" and has frequently criticized Trump's presidency.