Investigation targets Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar over immigration paperwork
Somali-born US Representative Ilhan Omar is under federal investigation over alleged fraud in her immigration paperwork. Authorities have seized her phone, issued grand jury subpoenas including to relatives, and searched her Washington home weeks before the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats accuse the probe of political targeting.
Brève Publié le (Africa/Lagos, UTC+1) · date de l'événement : 2026-10-12
Federal authorities are investigating Somali-born Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar over potential fraud in her immigration history, according to sources briefed on the probe.
The investigation has involved seizing Omar’s phone and issuing more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to some of her relatives, as part of evidence collection in Minnesota. Federal agents also searched her Washington, D.C. home on October 12, just weeks before the November midterm elections where Omar seeks reelection.
The exact scope of the investigation remains unclear, but Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin indicated authorities are examining potential crimes related to her family’s immigration paperwork. Additionally, Washington D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that multiple investigations are ongoing, including probes into Omar’s financial disclosures.
Omar has condemned the search as political intimidation, calling it an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. Democrats have criticized the timing of the search, noting it occurred within 60 days of the election, a period when the Justice Department typically avoids public investigative actions involving candidates.
First elected in 2018, Omar represents Minnesota’s 5th District and is known as the first Somali-American and African refugee elected to the US Congress. She has been a frequent target of political attacks, particularly from former President Donald Trump.