Ilhan Omar Home Search Sparks Election-Eve Backlash

US immigration agents searched the Washington-area home of Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar under a judicially authorized warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. The Justice Department provided no further details, and it remains unclear whether Omar was at the property. A BBC crew saw agents carrying boxes to a van. Fox News reported that the investigation concerned immigration paperwork filed by Omar’s late father when she was a child, but that claim has not been confirmed by the Justice Department. Omar, a Democrat and outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, called the search an effort to target political opponents and weaponize federal law enforcement. Her communications director described it as an abuse of power, while an ally said Omar was doing well. Trump denied involvement in the investigation but insulted Omar and made disparaging remarks about Somalis at a rally, where media reports said some attendees chanted “deport.” Omar has previously denied allegations of immigration violations and marital fraud, calling the investigations shams. The search took place 22 days before the November midterm elections, prompting concern among Democrats. House Democrats said the raid came amid longstanding personal attacks against Omar. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Senator Tina Smith accused Trump of abusing his power and interfering in the election. The Justice Department has a longstanding policy against most enforcement actions likely to appear intended to affect an election or disadvantage a candidate. Some Republicans welcomed the search, with Representative Tom Emmer saying no one is above the law and calling for more information. The article also notes that Omar is the first Somali American elected to the House, represents a Minneapolis-area district, and won reelection with 74% of the vote two years earlier. She and Rashida Tlaib were the first Muslim women elected to Congress.

NPR’s Up First briefing covers several U.S. political stories, public-health guidance, arts news and other headlines. Its lead report says the federal government continued to pay for advertisements promoting President Trump despite his announcement that his MAGA Inc. super PAC would fund the campaign privately. NPR’s analysis of AdImpact data found that nearly $22 million in taxpayer funds had been spent since the campaign began in late September, including almost $10 million after Trump’s Oct. 5 pledge. A federal judge ordered the ads removed, but they remained on air. The White House described them as public-service announcements; Common Cause and other plaintiffs argued that spending on them lacked congressional approval and violated restrictions on taxpayer-funded publicity and propaganda. The briefing also describes Trump’s midterm campaign appearances in Ohio and his planned visit to Alaska. NPR’s Danielle Kurtzleben says the rallies echo his presidential campaign events and underline his influence over the Republican Party, though the electoral benefit to candidates appearing with him is unclear. Federal agents searched the Washington, D.C., home of Rep. Ilhan Omar. The Justice Department said the search warrant was judicially authorized and related to an ongoing investigation. Officials familiar with the probe said it includes whistleblower complaints and allegations of immigration fraud. Omar called the search politically motivated, denied wrongdoing and said she would not be silenced; Trump said he was not involved. In its health section, NPR reports more than 3,600 measles cases and two deaths in the United States as of late September. It advises travelers to check their MMR vaccination status and notes that measles is highly contagious and can remain in the air for up to two hours. Other items preview a Metropolitan Museum exhibition pairing Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock, announce the economics Nobel Prize for Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford, note a first press briefing by new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia, and explore akara, a Nigerian roadside food, and its history.

Federal agents searched Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s Washington home on Oct 12 as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, escalating tensions between Omar and President Donald Trump less than three weeks before the Nov 3 midterm elections. Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of US immigration enforcement, carried out the search under a judicially authorised warrant. The Justice Department confirmed the operation but did not identify Omar or explain the investigation, and no charges against her were announced. Omar said she was safe and described the search as an effort to target political enemies and weaponise federal law enforcement. She said Trump had spent years directing baseless allegations and smear campaigns at her. Trump said Omar was being investigated “very carefully,” while also making disparaging remarks about her and Somalia. His “border czar,” Tom Homan, described the search as part of a longstanding probe. Fox News reported that the investigation concerned alleged fraud involving immigration paperwork submitted on Omar’s behalf by her late father when she was a child. The article presents this as a reported connection to the probe, not as a confirmed explanation from federal authorities. The search prompted strong criticism from Democrats. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and his leadership team called it deeply disturbing, while Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accused Trump of abusing his power against a political opponent before an election. Former Justice Department public affairs director Xochitl Hinojosa also questioned the timing, citing a longstanding departmental practice against overt actions before elections when a candidate is on the ballot. Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace took a different position, saying Omar should lose her citizenship and be deported if fraud were proven. Omar, a Somali-born member of the left-wing group known as “The Squad,” has represented a Minneapolis-area district since her 2018 election and has frequently clashed with Trump, particularly over immigration policy. The article notes that she had said in September that Homeland Security officials had not contacted her about an investigation. It closes with the key unresolved point: no charges were announced in connection with the search.

Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar accused the Trump administration of political intimidation after federal agents searched her Washington-area home. The search took place less than a month before the November midterm elections, in which Omar is seeking re-election, prompting senior Democrats to question the timing and accuse the administration of using federal law enforcement against a political opponent. The Justice Department said Homeland Security Investigations had carried out a judicially authorised search warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Officials have not publicly explained the full scope of the probe. Fox News, citing two sources close to the investigation, reported that it concerned allegations about Omar’s immigration paperwork, reportedly completed by her late father when she was a child. The article says the allegations remain contested and that authorities have not publicly established that Omar committed immigration fraud. Omar has repeatedly denied allegations against her and her family. Omar described the search as an attempt to “weaponize federal law enforcement” and said she would not be silenced. She also accused Trump of targeting her for years with what she called baseless claims and smear campaigns. Trump denied involvement in the search and said the investigation was a Justice Department matter, while separately calling Omar “totally crooked.” At an Ohio rally, he attacked her Somali origins; some attendees responded by chanting “Deport.” The article places the episode in the context of repeated attacks by Trump on Omar’s background and political views. It reports the competing claims and political reactions while noting that investigators have not publicly confirmed the alleged immigration fraud.