U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar announced Wednesday that she plans to move out of her Washington, D.C., home following a federal search last week, stating that the intense public attention generated by the raid has left her feeling unsafe in the residence.
Federal authorities are examining potential fraud related to her family’s immigration paperwork. As part of the ongoing probe, grand jury subpoenas have been issued to several of her relatives, according to a person briefed on the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to a lack of authorization to discuss the active investigation.
In her first interview since the search, Omar expressed confidence regarding the legality of her actions. “I’m confident in the fact that I didn’t do anything wrong,” the Minnesota Democrat told MS NOW.
The progressive lawmaker, a frequent target and vocal critic of President Donald Trump—who has repeatedly called for the prosecution of political adversaries—said the search left her rattled with the midterm elections just weeks away. Omar is running for reelection in a reliably Democratic district anchored in Minneapolis and is widely anticipated to hold her seat.
Recounting the morning of the raid, Omar said she woke around 6 a.m. to Homeland Security investigators banging on her door with a search warrant. The agents searched the property for four to five hours and confiscated 17 items, including mobile phones, notebooks, a Somali language children’s book, and a vintage camera gifted to her husband.
While the Justice Department has maintained a quiet posture regarding the specifics of the case, confirming only that it is a criminal inquiry, Omar offered background on her family’s arrival in the United States. She came to the country with her family at age 12 after securing asylum, and she obtained U.S. citizenship five years later in 2000.
“It would be a huge undertaking to, I suppose, indict a 12-year-old for so cleverly conspiring to defraud immigration services to come to the United States,” Omar said during the interview. “I’m sure there are a lot of smart 12-year-olds, but that seems like a leap.”
Despite the intrusive nature of the operation, Omar noted that the agents were polite, cataloging the items they removed and returning all other belongings to their original places.
The search drew immediate backlash from congressional Democrats, who criticized both the action and its timing. The Justice Department has long adhered to a traditional policy of avoiding overt investigative steps involving political candidates in the sensitive period immediately preceding an election.
