Family texts trigger warrant and raid on Ilhan Omar's Washington home
Text messages on the phone of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s sister were used to obtain a warrant that led federal agents to raid her D.C. residence and seize electronic devices.
Federal investigators confiscated the phone of Sahra Noor, the sister of Rep. Ilhan Omar, and used the text messages found on it to secure a judge’s approval for a raid on Omar’s Washington, D.C., home. The Department of Homeland Security agents seized Omar’s phone, passport, notebooks and personal computers during the operation. The inquiry centers on allegations that Omar and possibly her father misrepresented her age and other details on immigration paperwork to obtain naturalized citizenship after fleeing Somalia.
If she was under 18 at the time, she could not have derived citizenship through her father’s refugee status, raising questions about her constitutional eligibility for office. Additional family members have been subpoenaed, and the investigation is slated for review by a federal grand jury in Minnesota. Republican House whip Tom Emmer has called for severe penalties if the allegations are proven.
Why it matters
The raid could determine whether a sitting congresswoman obtained her citizenship fraudulently and remains eligible to serve.
How this story developed
- Oct 12 Federal agents execute search of Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington home amid immigration fraud probe
- Oct 12 Federal agents executed a pre‑dawn search of Omar’s D.C. home.
- Oct 14 Democracy Defenders Fund submitted a Hatch Act complaint alleging the raid violated election‑interference rules.
- Oct 14 Subpoenas were served on several of Omar’s relatives.
- Oct 15 Federal investigators have taken Rep. Ilhan Omar's phone and issued more than a dozen grand-jury subpoenas, including to family members, as part of a criminal inquiry into her immigration paperwork.
- Oct 15 Federal agents seized Omar’s phone and issued subpoenas to her relatives.
- Oct 16 Rep. Delia Ramirez introduced legislation to dismantle the Department of Homeland Security.
- Oct 17 House Majority Whip Tom Emmer called for Omar’s jail and deportation if the fraud investigation is substantiated.
- Oct 18 Barack Obama posted on X condemning the investigation as retaliation for Omar’s criticism of the administration.
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