U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar announced Wednesday she will vacate her Washington, D.C., home following a federal raid last week, citing concerns for her safety amid an ongoing investigation. Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, gave her first interview since Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at her residence on October 12, seizing 17 items including phones, computers, and personal belongings.
The investigation centers on potential fraud in her family’s immigration paperwork, according to a person briefed on the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Federal authorities have issued grand jury subpoenas to some of her relatives, the person confirmed. Omar, who was born in Somalia and became a U.S. citizen in 2000, stated in the interview with MSNBC’s MS NOW that she is ‘confident in the fact that I didn’t do anything wrong.’
Omar described waking around 6 a.m. to investigators banging on her door with a warrant. The search lasted four to five hours, during which agents took items such as a Somali-language children’s book and a vintage camera that had been a gift to her husband. She attributed the scrutiny to political targeting, noting that President Donald Trump has previously called for the prosecution of perceived political opponents.
During the interview, Omar addressed long-standing accusations that she married her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, to facilitate immigration fraud. When pressed by host Chris Hayes, she responded, ‘Not to my knowledge,’ and dismissed the claims as ‘insane.’ Omar traced the origins of the allegations to a Somali blog before they were amplified by conservative activists in Minneapolis. She stated the accusations had no basis in fact.
Federal authorities have not provided details beyond confirming the investigation is criminal in nature. Omar, who fled Somalia with her family as a child and sought asylum in the U.S., emphasized the implausibility of allegations involving a 12-year-old conspiring to defraud immigration services. She is running for reelection in a deep blue district centered in Minneapolis and is expected to retain her seat in the November midterms.