Justice Department rejects Ilhan Omar lawyers’ claims over home search

The U.S. Justice Department rejected claims by Rep. Ilhan Omar’s lawyers that the search of her home was unlawful, after they demanded the return of seized property and called the probe political.

Hilal Times Editorial DeskOctober 17, 2026, 06:07 PMUpdated: October 18, 2026, 12:38 PM

Justice Department rejects Ilhan Omar lawyers’ claims over home search

The U.S. Justice Department rejected claims by lawyers for Somali-born Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar regarding the search of her Washington home, calling their letter “riddled with false allegations and inaccuracies.”

In a letter sent Friday, Omar’s attorneys demanded the return of seized property, including her phone, arguing that the Oct. 12 search by Homeland Security officers was “neither justified nor lawful” and politically motivated weeks before the midterm elections.

An immigration probe

Entrance of the U.S. Justice Department building (file photo)

The search is part of an immigration fraud investigation in which more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas have been issued, including to Omar’s relatives. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has pointed to her family’s immigration paperwork, while her lawyers insist there is “no legitimate basis” to claim she violated citizenship laws; she became a citizen in 2000.

The dispute comes as Trump has escalated his rhetoric against Somalia, recently saying it is “not a country,” and disparaged Omar at a rally days before the search. He later said he had “nothing to do” with it.

Omar’s lawyers: the protection the judge sought was not respected

The Oct. 16 letter from attorneys Amy Jeffress and Joshua Matz to the Justice Department shows that the magistrate judge was concerned the search warrant lacked a mechanism to protect the congresswoman’s legislative privileges. According to the letter, HSI agents did not inform Omar or the House Office of General Counsel when the search was carried out and did not let her call her lawyer for more than an hour. The department said the leak of the letter was nothing more than “a publicity play.”

By contrast, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin spoke of “a strong case.” In an interview with the Charlie Kirk Show podcast, he said other search warrants were executed on the same day and that he expects the case to be referred to a grand jury. The probe concerns immigration papers filed by the lawmaker’s late father when she was young.

Omar, who is of Somali origin and has not been formally charged, said what is happening is “an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement” and vowed not to be silenced. Elie Mystal of The Nation wrote that targeting her amounts to targeting every immigrant, every person of color and every activist who speaks up.

Justice Department rejects Ilhan Omar lawyers’ claims over home search

The U.S. Justice Department rejected claims by Rep. Ilhan Omar’s lawyers that the search of her home was unlawful, after they demanded the return of seized property and called the probe political.