Official congressional portrait of Rep. Ilhan Omar, file photo used for the Ilhan Omar home raid report

Ilhan Omar Home Raid: HSI Agents Search D.C. Home in Federal Probe

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Featured image: Official portrait of Rep. Ilhan Omar, 116th Congress. U.S. House of Representatives, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. File photo; not taken at the search.

Federal agents searched the Washington, D.C.-area home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., early Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in what multiple outlets are calling the Ilhan Omar home raid. The Justice Department said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a judicially authorized search warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Omar has not been charged with any crime, according to the reports reviewed by The Boston Report.

This is a developing story. Details below are attributed to the outlet or official who reported them. Several key facts, including the specific allegations under investigation, have not been made public by the government.

What the Justice Department said

A Justice Department spokesperson gave nearly identical statements to Fox News Digital and The Guardian on Monday morning. The statement, as quoted by The Guardian, said: “Today in the Washington DC, area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice. This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.”

The department did not name Omar in the statement as quoted, did not say what the warrant covered and did not describe any items seized. According to The Guardian, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security referred questions to the Justice Department.

Which agency conducted the search

The Associated Press reported, citing people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity, that the search was conducted by HSI agents. CBS News reported that three sources confirmed HSI is leading the investigation with the Justice Department assisting.

HSI is the criminal investigative arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. CBS News noted that HSI has jurisdiction over federal offenses including immigration document fraud, identity fraud and immigration benefit fraud, and that its special agents conduct criminal investigations and execute federal search warrants, unlike ICE’s deportation-focused operations. The reports describe the action as a search under a warrant. None of the outlets reviewed reported an arrest.

Fox News Digital, which first reported the search, said multiple agents wearing HSI jackets were seen outside Omar’s Washington home early Monday and posted video of the scene.

What the investigation is reportedly about

The government has not publicly described the subject of the investigation. Fox News, citing two sources close to the investigation, reported that it is a criminal fraud investigation concerning Omar’s immigration paperwork, which was filled out by her late father when she was a child. CBS News, citing its sources, also reported that the investigation centers on childhood immigration paperwork completed by her late father.

These descriptions come from anonymous sources and have not been confirmed on the record by the Justice Department or DHS. An allegation or an investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing.

Omar’s response

According to The Guardian, Omar’s office did not respond to a request for comment Monday morning. An X news summary of posts about the search also said her office had not commented as of Monday morning. CBS News reported that when border czar Tom Homan publicly referred to an investigation in September, Omar said she had not been contacted in connection with any investigation. The Guardian reported that Omar has consistently denied fraud accusations about herself and her family. The Boston Report will update this story if her office issues a statement.

Background: prior allegations and official comments

Omar, who was born in Somalia and came to the United States as a refugee, has represented Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District since 2019. The following is attributed background, not established fact:

  • Marriage allegation: The Guardian described a “years-old but unsubstantiated claim” that Omar’s ex-husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, is her brother and that the marriage was meant to help him obtain immigration status. Omar has denied it. The Guardian reported that the two formally divorced in 2017.
  • Age at naturalization: The Guardian, citing a New York Post report last month, said questions have been raised about whether Omar was older than her recorded age of 17 when she was naturalized, which could matter because she received citizenship through her parents.
  • Official statements: CBS News reported that Homan told Fox News in September there was an “ongoing criminal investigation” into Omar. The Guardian reported that Vice President JD Vance said in March that the administration believed Omar committed immigration fraud, and that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last month an investigation was ongoing.
  • Presidential remarks: The Guardian reported that President Donald Trump said at a rally on Saturday, Oct. 10, “Let’s see what happens,” after naming Omar.

None of these allegations has been proven in court, and the reports reviewed do not say any charges have been filed.

Timeline

  • 2017: Omar and Elmi formally divorce, per The Guardian.
  • 2019: Omar takes office as a member of Congress from Minnesota.
  • March 2026: Vance says the administration believes Omar committed immigration fraud, per The Guardian.
  • September 2026: Homan tells Fox News there is an ongoing criminal investigation; Omar says she has not been contacted, per CBS News.
  • Oct. 10, 2026: Trump references Omar at a rally, per The Guardian.
  • Oct. 12, 2026, early morning: HSI agents execute a search warrant at Omar’s Washington-area home, per the Justice Department, AP, CBS and Fox News.
  • Oct. 12, 2026, morning: Fox News publishes first report (7:37 a.m. ET); AP, The Guardian and CBS News follow.

What we know / What we don’t know

What we know:

  • The Justice Department says HSI executed a judicially authorized search warrant in the Washington area on Oct. 12 as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.
  • AP, CBS News and Fox News, citing sources, report that the search was at Omar’s home.
  • No arrest or charges have been reported.

What we don’t know:

  • What specific offense the warrant concerns, and whether Omar is a target or a subject of the investigation.
  • Whether anything was seized.
  • Whether Omar was home, and what she or her office says about the search.
  • Whether the investigation will lead to charges or any civil proceeding.

For more coverage of national and state politics, see our Politics & Government hub, our explainer on Massachusetts Question 9, and our report on new U.S. sanctions on the ICC.

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