Lawyers for Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar have demanded that the US Justice Department return items seized from her Washington home. They argue that federal agents carried out an unlawful search as part of an immigration fraud investigation. Omar’s legal team also claims the case is politically motivated.
In a letter sent to the department on Friday, the lawyers said there was no valid reason to suggest that Omar had broken laws related to her citizenship. They described the investigation as an effort to target a longtime critic of President Donald Trump.
The search took place on Monday, only weeks before the midterm elections. Omar is running for another term, and her attorneys say the timing raises concerns about the possible impact on the election.
The legal team argued that the investigation threatens Omar’s constitutional rights and the separation of powers. They also questioned whether federal agents followed all the instructions set by the judge who approved the search.
The Justice Department rejected the accusations. A department spokesperson said the lawyers’ letter contained false claims and inaccuracies. The spokesperson added that government attorneys and law enforcement officers had followed court orders and met their legal obligations.
The search drew swift criticism from Democrats. One key concern is the Justice Department’s longstanding practice of avoiding public investigative actions involving political candidates within 60 days of a primary or general election. Omar’s lawyers argue that the operation may have violated this policy.
They have also asked the department to preserve all audio and video recordings made during the search. Such records could help establish what happened inside the home and whether agents complied with the judge’s instructions.
Federal authorities seized Omar’s phone during the operation, according to a person briefed on the investigation. Investigators have also issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including some directed at Omar’s relatives, the person said.
The full scope of the inquiry has not been made public. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has suggested that authorities are examining possible crimes linked to immigration documents involving members of Omar’s family.
Another investigation concerns Omar’s financial disclosures. Washington’s US attorney, Jeanine Pirro, has said several inquiries involving Omar are underway. Her office is also looking into matters related to the lawmaker’s financial reporting.
Omar has faced claims about her marriage and immigration history for years. Conservative websites have alleged that she married her brother to commit immigration fraud. She has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them false and offensive.
According to her congressional biography, Omar and her family fled Somalia’s civil war when she was eight. They spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya before moving to the United States during the 1990s. Her family settled in Minneapolis in 1997.
Her lawyers say Omar became a naturalized US citizen in 2000. They argue that there is no legitimate basis to suggest she violated any law concerning her citizenship status.
The search also followed recent remarks by Trump at a rally in Tennessee. He spoke about Omar in negative terms and suggested that Vice President JD Vance and others were investigating her.
After the search, Trump told reporters that he had nothing to do with the operation. He said the matter was under the Justice Department’s control.
Omar’s legal team is now seeking the return of her seized property and the preservation of records from the search. The request challenges both the legal grounds for the operation and the timing of the investigation.
The Justice Department has defended the conduct of its personnel but has not publicly detailed the full evidence behind the inquiry. The allegations remain under investigation, and the legal dispute has not been resolved.
The case has brought renewed attention to the balance between criminal investigations and election-related safeguards. Further developments may depend on the department’s response to Omar’s demands and whether more information about the inquiry becomes public.
