Federal agents search Ilhan Omar's home in Washington as midterms near

US federal agents searched the Washington home of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on Monday as part of a criminal investigation, officials said. The search came three weeks before the November 3 midterms, in which Omar seeks re-election, and escalates President Donald Trump's confrontation with the outspoken critic.

Why did federal agents search Ilhan Omar's home?

Fox News, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the search was linked to a criminal fraud investigation into immigration paperwork submitted on behalf of Omar by her late father when she was a child. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents carried it out. No charges against Omar were announced in connection with the search.

What have officials said about the Ilhan Omar search?

Trump's border enforcement chief Tom Homan told Fox News he would not give details ahead of an official announcement. He confirmed that an "investigation was ongoing for a while" and that "there was a warrant executed this morning." US media quoted the Justice Department as confirming a court-authorized search in the Washington area, but officials did not identify Omar or disclose the nature of the investigation.

The search reportedly began around 6:00 am. Video apparently taken by a member of the public and posted to X showed several agents wearing HSI jackets outside Omar's Washington residence.

Why is the timing of the Ilhan Omar search drawing criticism?

The operation raised concerns about longstanding Justice Department practices meant to prevent law enforcement actions from influencing elections. Xochitl Hinojosa, a former director of public affairs at the Justice Department, wrote on X: "There's a longstanding rule at DOJ that you don't take overt actions like this before an election, especially when there's a candidate on the ballot."

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, wrote on X that the "precedent set by this action is chilling." He warned that raids targeting political candidates shortly before elections could become more common.

How has Ilhan Omar responded to the investigation?

There was no immediate public response from Omar to Monday's search. AFP has sought comment from her office and the Trump administration.

In September, Homan said Omar was the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation but declined to give details. Omar said at the time that Homeland Security officials had not contacted her about any investigation, and she dismissed the allegations as politically motivated attacks.

Who is Ilhan Omar?

Omar, 44, is a leftist Democrat and fierce critic of Trump, particularly his administration's sweeping crackdown on immigration. She came to the United States from Somalia as a child and was first elected to Congress in 2018. She represents a district including Minneapolis, home to one of the largest Somali communities in the country.

She is a member of "The Squad," a group of left-wing Democratic lawmakers who are among Trump's most vocal opponents in Congress. The Republican president has repeatedly clashed with her, and she has frequently been the target of his political attacks.

What does data show about non-citizen voting in US elections?

Trump and his Republican allies have for years argued that non-citizens vote in significant numbers in US elections, a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment and deportation. Studies consistently find the offense too rare to have affected the outcome of any federal election.

An election fraud database kept by the conservative Heritage Foundation, dating back decades, contains 1,619 cases of election-related offenses. Non-citizen voting makes up 5.5 percent of them.