Omar Attorneys Allege Violations in Federal Home Search, Demand Return of Items

Attorneys for Rep. Ilhan Omar accused federal authorities of violating restrictions imposed by a judge during a search of her Washington, D.C. home and demanded the immediate return of seized property.

Homeland Security Investigations police searched her home on October 12, 2026. Agents seized her cellphone, notebooks, personal computers, and passport. Omar's attorneys, Amy Jeffress and Joshua Matz, stated agents failed to comply with requirements including providing her lawyers with a copy of the warrant and contacting the House Office of General Counsel before the search.

Department of Justice spokesperson Emily Covington said their attorneys and law enforcement partners complied with all court orders and legal obligations. The search is part of an ongoing criminal investigation into accusations related to Omar's immigration and naturalization records. Federal investigators are reviewing family text messages to build a case implicating Omar of conspiring to commit immigration fraud.

These messages were obtained from a phone seized earlier this year from one of Omar's sisters, Sahra Noor, and were used to authorize the search of Omar's home. NewsNation reported federal agents collected Omar's garbage, presumably to obtain DNA evidence. Questions exist about whether Omar's birth year was changed from 1981 to 1982 in the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, which could affect her citizenship status if she was 18 or older when her father naturalized in 2000.

Omar's attorneys described the investigation as politically motivated and a vindictive, retributive act against a congressional critic of President Trump. The probe began under President Joe Biden's Justice Department in June 2024, but reportedly stalled for lack of evidence. GOP Whip Tom Emmer called for Omar to be jailed and deported if citizenship fraud is proven. Omar denies accusations related to her immigration and naturalization records.