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In her first public interview after the incident, Rep.Ilhan Omar detailed the early morning federal raid on her Washington, D.C., home, stating it was “designed” to intimidate and “freak” her out.
The search, conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents on Monday, October 12, is reportedly tied to a criminal investigation regarding immigration-related records and her U.S. citizenship. Omar has strongly denied any wrongdoing, characterizing the probe as a politically motivated campaign by President Donald Trump.
During an interview with MS NOW’sChris Hayes on Wednesday, October 21, the Minnesota Democrat described the execution of the shocking, but not surprising, search warrant.
Omar, 44, who is the first Somali member of Congress, said that between 15 and 25 HSI agents surrounded her house at approximately 6 a.m. loudly “pounding” on both the front and back doors.
Inside the Raiid
After only two and a half hours of sleep following her trip, Omar said her first thought was that the building was on fire or needed an urgent evacuation.
“You don’t show up to somebody’s house that early in the morning unless you’re trying to freak them out. And you know it obviously did freak all of us out,” Omar said.
“It sounded like an urgent evacuation sort-of situation,” she added. “So, it took us a while to figure out what was actually happening.”
She stated that agents asked her to sign a document waiving the constitutional protections afforded to members of Congress, a request she described as “obnoxious” and flatly declined.
What Did They Confiscate?
“That was obnoxious. I couldn’t understand why they would think that I would sign such a thing,” she said.
The search lasted between four and five hours. Agents ultimately confiscated 17 items, including several cell phones, her personal computers, notebooks, her passport, and her husband’s Somali phrase book.
“To walk away with 17 items of, like, 10 that were just notebooks and like old phones was such a bizarre, bizarre thing,” she said.
According to reports, the investigation, described by former President Barack Obama as “appalling,” is examining decades-old immigration paperwork to determine if Omar was misrepresented as a 12-year-old minor when she arrived in the U.S. from Kenya. She became a citizen in 2000.
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‘Baseless Conspiracy Theories’
Omar dismissed the claims as “baseless conspiracy theories” amplified by the White House.
Although Omar said she takes the allegations “seriously,” she doesn’t believe the government has a leg to stand on.
“It would be a huge undertaking to, I suppose, indict a 12-year-old for being so cleverly conspiring to defraud immigration services to come to the United States,” she stated. “I’m sure there are a lot of smart 12-year-olds, but that seems like a leap.”
On Tuesday, October 20, Trump publicly targeted Omar, calling her a “sick, very dishonest person” and suggesting she could face jail time or deportation.
Omar responded by asserting that the administration used federal law enforcement to satisfy right-wing supporters and interfere ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. “He’s got everything to do with it,” Omar stated regarding Trump’s involvement.
Omar said she can no longer safely live in her Washington, D.C., residence.
Since the raid caused her home address to be made public, she cited safety concerns for her children and the ongoing volume of death threats she receives as the primary reasons for her decision to relocate.
Omar has been a frequent target of the president’s because, as MS NOW’s Ayman Mohyeldin told Stephanie Ruhle on Thursday, October 22, she represents all of what Trump and his base hate and fear: she’s a Black, African, Muslim woman.
In 2025, Omar told The Guardian she believes Trump has an “unhealthy and creepy obsession” with her.
She told Hayes she won’t be intimidated and said her faith and conviction are guiding her through this.
“In my faith teachings, we believe that God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. I think I’m designed uniquely by God to withstand all of this,” she expressed. “If I continue to stand up to bullies and people who are carrying out ungodly corruption, I’m going to be okay.”
