Home · Politics · Oct 18 archive
Ilhan Omar's Sister's Phone Seized Before Home Raid
Confirmed
In Short: Federal agents seized the phone of Ilhan Omar's sister, Sahra Noor, before raiding the congresswoman's home.
Federal agents raided U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., home on Monday, October 12, as part of a criminal investigation into potential immigration fraud.
Omar's sister, Sahra Noor, had her phone seized earlier this year as federal investigators began looking into whether Omar and her relatives lied or omitted crucial information in immigration paperwork filed since moving to the United States in the 1990s.
Noor, a health care executive and author, was reportedly subpoenaed in relation to the immigration investigation into her sister.
Omar skipped a scheduled book tour event due to a 'family emergency' amid the fallout from the raid.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Omar's phone, passport, and computers were seized during the raid.
Omar's husband, Tim Mynett, defended her immigration timeline outside their DC residence.
Omar's memoir, 'Salt in the Snow,' was scheduled for a book tour stop at the University of Minnesota Rochester, but the event was canceled without warning.
The raid and subsequent investigation have drawn criticism from congressional Democrats, who argue that it amounts to a weaponization of federal power against Omar.
Former federal prosecutors said the search appears to have broken a longstanding DOJ norm of not targeting candidates for roughly 60 days prior to an election.
Omar's attorneys raised concerns over the raid and demanded the return of seized items in a letter sent to federal prosecutors.
Omar has described the search as an 'outrageous abuse of power' and called it an 'unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement to target political enemies.'
What this adds
The investigation into Omar's immigration status has drawn comparisons to previous attempts to scrutinize her, which did not result in charges.
Background
Federal agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., home as part of a criminal investigation.
What's confirmed
- Federal agents raided U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., home on Monday, October 12, as part of a criminal investigation into potential immigration fraud.
- Omar's sister, Sahra Noor, had her phone seized earlier this year as federal investigators began looking into whether Omar and her relatives lied or omitted crucial information in immigration paperwork filed since moving to the United States in the 1990s.
- Noor, a health care executive and author, was reportedly subpoenaed in relation to the immigration investigation into her sister.
- Omar skipped a scheduled book tour event due to a 'family emergency' amid the fallout from the raid.
- The Wall Street Journal reported that Omar's phone, passport, and computers were seized during the raid.
- Omar's husband, Tim Mynett, defended her immigration timeline outside their DC residence.
- Omar's memoir, 'Salt in the Snow,' was scheduled for a book tour stop at the University of Minnesota Rochester, but the event was canceled without warning.
- The raid and subsequent investigation have drawn criticism from congressional Democrats, who argue that it amounts to a weaponization of federal power against Omar.
- Former federal prosecutors said the search appears to have broken a longstanding DOJ norm of not targeting candidates for roughly 60 days prior to an election.
- Omar's attorneys raised concerns over the raid and demanded the return of seized items in a letter sent to federal prosecutors.
What's still developing
- Fox News Digital first reported Monday that the raid stems from an investigation into whether Omar or her late father, Nur Mohamed, fraudulently filled out her citizenship paperwork decades ago.
- She currently lives in Nairobi, Kenya, according to her LinkedIn page, but is on a worldwide book tour promoting her recently-released "Salt in the Snow: A Somali Immigrant Story."
- Garden Party Books told Fox News Digital the event was canceled due to a Noor "family emergency." The Intercultural Student Center at the University of Minnesota, Rochester, Minnesota, Thursday, October 14, 2026.
- It also described Noor as a "poet, storyteller and health system leader," and said the book is a "story of migration, motherhood, grief and family."
- The flyer said that Garden Party Books, along with the University of Minnesota Bookstores and the Rochester Public Library, were "proud supporters" of the event.
- “This is politically motivated and an escalation of Trump’s personal vendetta against her, lasting over a decade,” she added.
- “Trump has spread lie after lie about the congresswoman in a desperate attempt to justify his extraordinary abuse of power,” Jackie Rogers told the NYT in a statement.
- Omar has previously faced investigations concerning her finances, campaign expenditures, and interactions with foreign nationals, none of which resulted in charges.
- Asked about the seizure of Noor’s phone, a spokesperson for Omar declined to address the matter directly, instead alleging that President Donald Trump’s personal vendetta drove the investigation.
- “To me, if they are obviously trying to obtain DNA, then, yes, that is a very easy get, especially if it was discarded even in a trash can,” former FBI special agent Tracy Walder told the outlet.
- "This thing is white hot right now. We don't know where it's going to end up, but there's certainly a lot of pressure on her," he told 'Jesse Weber Live' on Wednesday.
- Omar has said that she naturalized as a U.S. citizen before turning 18.