As reported on Instagram
Rep. Ilhan Omar says she can no longer live in her Washington, D.C., home following the federal search of the residence earlier this month, saying the address is now public and that the death threats she receives make it unsafe for her and her children. "Obviously, I can't continue to live there," the Minnesota Democrat told MS NOW's Chris Hayes on Wednesday, in her first interview since the search. "Because our address has been public and with the death threats that I deal with, it's no longer going to be feasible to be in that house and have my kids visiting off and on, having people track them."
Omar recounted the search, which took place on Oct. 12, saying she was awakened at about 6 a.m. by federal agents pounding on her front door, with agents surrounding the home. She was there with her husband, Tim Mynett, and her 20-year-old son. Omar estimated that between 15 and 25 Homeland Security Investigations agents took part. After she asked for a warrant, the agents handed one over — it was specifically for electronics, she said — and then spent four to five hours going room by room. They left with 17 items, including her phone, a phone belonging to her youngest daughter, her husband's notebooks, an antique camera that had been gifted to him, and a Somali-language book for children. Omar also said the agents wanted her to waive her immunity as a member of Congress.
The Justice Department has said only that agents "executed a judicially authorized search warrant" as part of an "ongoing federal criminal investigation," and it has not said what crime Omar is accused of. Reporting by Reuters and other outlets says investigators are examining whether false statements were made about her age by her late father in the paperwork filed when she obtained U.S. citizenship in 2000, after emigrating from Somalia with her family. A source told NBC News that she could face charges of making false statements in immigration paperwork and conspiracy, but no charges have been announced, and more than a dozen subpoenas have also been issued to members of her family. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has said a judge signed the warrant and would not have done so without probable cause.
Omar has denied wrongdoing and condemned the search. "I'm confident in my truth. I'm confident in the fact that I didn't do anything wrong," she told Hayes. Hours after the search, she posted on X: "I'm ok. Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced." Her office called the search "an outrageous abuse of power." She also questioned why agents came at 6 a.m. when, she said, the warrant allowed them to execute it at any time between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., and she alleged that the agents tipped off Fox News, which she said was the first outlet on site.
Omar also rejected President Donald Trump's insistence that he had "nothing to do" with the investigation. "I mean, he's got everything to do with it," she said. "You know, this goes back to 2019 when he was screaming about the fact that, you know, I need to be sent back, I need to be deported." Trump has been a frequent critic of Omar since his first term, has accused her of fraud and has called for her deportation.
Omar also keeps a home in Minneapolis, in the district she represents, and she is seeking re-election in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. House Democratic leaders — Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar — released a statement in her support after the search, saying Trump and far-right figures have "relentlessly targeted Congresswoman Omar with vile personal attacks and baseless accusations," and promising "full accountability" over the actions of the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department.