US Homeland Security Raids Home of Anti-Israel Congresswoman Ilhan Omar

U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents, operating under the ICE immigration service, conducted a search of the Washington home of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on October 12. The investigation is reportedly examining the immigration documents of Omar, who arrived in the U.S. as a child refugee from Somalia. Agents removed several boxes of materials from her residence. Omar has previously faced accusations of a sham marriage to her brother to circumvent immigration laws, allegations she denies. The search occurred just three weeks before the midterm elections, in which Omar is seeking reelection. Omar, who has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump since 2019, called the raid "political persecution" and "an outrageous abuse of power." Her office stated it was an "unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement agencies against political opponents."

In August, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin stated that Omar could face deportation if her family's entry into the U.S. was found to be illegal. Omar, a Somali-born representative for Minnesota, has been a prominent critic of Israel, labeling the country "apartheid" and accusing it of "ethnic cleansing." She co-sponsored a resolution in November 2025 that sought to recognize Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide, though it was not considered. Omar supports the BDS movement, opposes military aid to Israel, and has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "war criminal." In 2019, Israel denied entry to Omar and fellow Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. That same year, the organization StopAntisemitism named Omar "Antisemite of the Year" based on a public vote.