Rep. Ilhan Omar is demanding federal prosecutors return her passport, computers and other belongings seized during a search of her Washington home — while accusing the Trump administration of using a criminal investigation to punish a political opponent.
Attorneys for the Minnesota Democrat sent the Justice Department a letter Friday challenging the search and demanding the immediate return of all property taken by investigators, The Daily Wire reported.
Agents with Homeland Security Investigations searched Omar’s residence Monday, October 12, under a warrant approved by a federal judge. Items seized included her cellphone, notebooks, personal computers and passport, according to The Wall Street Journal, as cited by the Daily Wire.
“There is no legitimate basis for any suggestion that she has violated any law concerning her citizenship status,” her attorneys wrote.
“This vindictive, retributive, and politically motivated criminal investigation into one of the President’s chief congressional critics violates Representative Omar’s constitutional rights and threatens the separation of powers,” they added.
Omar Fires Back At Trump
Omar’s response has extended beyond her lawyers’ demands.
In a Thursday message to supporters, the congresswoman described the experience as frightening but vowed to continue confronting President Donald Trump.
“It’s been a scary journey but I have always been grounded in my work and ability to provide exemplary service to my constituents,” Omar wrote in a post quoted by the Daily Wire.
“Trump and his administration have been after me since I arrived in Congress. I have always stood up to him and that will never change.”
Her office had also rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing following Monday’s search, calling the operation an abuse of federal power directed at a political adversary.
DOJ Defends The Search
The Justice Department has disputed the accusation that investigators acted improperly.
“Our attorneys and law enforcement partners complied with all court orders and legal obligations, as they always do,” DOJ spokesperson Emily Covington told ABC News, according to the Daily Wire.
Omar’s attorneys also requested recordings made inside her home during the search.
The timing is another central point of contention. Monday’s operation occurred just 22 days before the November 3 midterms, when Omar is seeking a fifth term.
ABC News reported that the department has historically advised prosecutors against overt investigative steps involving candidates within 60 days of an election. Omar’s attorneys argue the search violated that longstanding practice.
What Investigators Are Examining
Sources told ABC News that the investigation concerns Omar’s immigration paperwork. The Somali-born congresswoman arrived in the United States as a child refugee and became a naturalized citizen in 2000.
The full scope of the investigation remains undisclosed. The Daily Wire discussed several possible avenues of inquiry, including family immigration records and financial disclosures, but those possibilities should not be confused with publicly announced charges.
Omar has denied wrongdoing, and ABC News reported she had not been charged with a crime.
Trump, meanwhile, continued criticizing Omar after the search. Asked Tuesday whether he wanted her deported, he declined to endorse that outcome while attacking her performance in Congress.
“I don’t take a position,” Trump said, according to ABC News.
Vice President JD Vance separately said he had received no advance notice of the search and maintained that investigators should follow the evidence.
