Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has accused the Trump administration of using federal law enforcement for political purposes and is challenging the legality of the search of her Washington-area home, carried out Monday by Homeland Security Investigations agents under a court-authorized warrant.
According to CNN reporting, U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh spent several days challenging Justice Department officials over their request to search the Minnesota Democrat's home as part of an ongoing immigration fraud investigation, and ultimately required investigators to establish a screening process to protect documents related to Omar's congressional duties, which the Constitution's Speech or Debate Clause protects.
'I am ok. Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement,' Omar wrote on social media. '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.'
Investigators are examining whether Omar or her late father provided false information about her age when she obtained American citizenship in 2000. Omar arrived in the United States in 1995 after living in a refugee camp in Kenya, has previously denied committing immigration fraud, and has not been charged. The search took place less than a month before the November 3 midterm elections, as Omar campaigns for a fifth term.
