Ilhan Omar Returns With Campaign Video After D.C. Home Raid
Rep. Ilhan Omar resurfaced in a selfie video asking supporters for donations after federal agents searched her Washington residence in an immigration fraud investigation.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., reappeared publicly for the first time since federal agents searched her Washington, D.C., residence, posting a campaign video Tuesday night in which she thanked supporters for donations and asked for more money to fight President Donald Trump and his administration.
In the selfie video, filmed from the back seat of a moving vehicle and showing Omar wearing a blue campaign shirt, the congresswoman did not address the investigation that prompted the raid. Instead, she thanked people who sent notes of support and contributions of $5, $10 and $20, saying the money «goes a long way as we fight Trump and his administration for trying to intimidate me and so many people right before the midterm elections.»
The search of Omar's home was carried out last Monday by Homeland Security Investigations as part of a probe into potential immigration fraud. Authorities are examining whether Omar or her father made false statements on paperwork connected to her citizenship. Border czar Tom Homan has said that if the allegations are proven, Omar could be denaturalized.
Omar has not been seen in public since before the raid. Her husband, Tim Mynett, has been observed outside the residence walking the couple's dog, and a campaign aide was seen bringing food into the home. Both of her daughters arrived at the house two days apart. Her sister, Sahra Noor, who is in the United States on a book tour, spoke with federal investigators last week, according to three sources.
It remains unclear where Omar has been since the search warrant was executed. Some speculation suggested she had left the country, though reports indicate her passport and phone were among the items seized by federal agents. Before Tuesday's video, she had communicated only through written statements on social media.
In one statement posted shortly after the raid, Omar called the search «an outrageous abuse of power and an unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement to target political enemies.» She added that «no president should be able to use the power of the federal government to intimidate his political enemies.»
Trump, speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, warned that Omar could face jail time if the allegations are true. «Well, she could be. She could also go to jail,» the president said. «You know, they keep talking about deportation. No, she could go to jail.» He also called the congresswoman «a very dishonest person» who «hates our country.»
In her video, Omar struck a defiant tone toward Trump and Republicans. «We know that they're running scared,» she said. «We're not going to be intimidated. We're not going to be silenced. We're not going to be scared.» She promised to return to the campaign trail ahead of the midterms, saying she would work to «win the House, win the Senate, and hold this administration accountable.»
Omar is currently scheduled to appear in Minneapolis on Monday for a live event with streamer Hasan Piker. The raid and its aftermath have thrust the Somali-born progressive into a turbulent stretch, with dueling federal and political probes drawing national attention as the midterm elections approach.
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