Trump denies involvement after federal agents search Rep. Ilhan Omar's home

President Donald Trump denied directing or participating in a federal investigation after Homeland Security Investigations agents searched Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington-area home on Monday, October 12, 2026.

Asked about the search later Monday, Trump told reporters he had “nothing to do with it.” He nevertheless criticized Omar and said investigators were examining her closely, while adding that decisions in the matter were up to the Justice Department.

The Justice Department said agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. The department did not publicly identify suspected offenses, disclose what agents sought or say whether prosecutors expect to bring charges. A search warrant requires a judge to find probable cause that evidence of a crime is likely to be found at the location; it is not a finding of guilt.

Omar, a Minnesota Democrat seeking reelection, accused the administration of targeting a political opponent and weaponizing federal law enforcement. She said Trump had spent years attacking her and described the search as an escalation in a campaign of intimidation. Her office has denied longstanding Republican allegations that she committed immigration fraud.

NBC News reported, citing a person familiar with the case, that the search was connected to a yearslong investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. attorney's office in Minneapolis and the Justice Department. That source said the inquiry concerns immigration and fraud among other matters. The Associated Press reported that the precise nature and scope of the investigation remained unclear.

Trump administration officials had publicly discussed scrutiny of Omar before the search. Vice President JD Vance previously alleged, without publicly presenting evidence, that she committed immigration fraud. Omar denied the accusation. Homeland Security officials also said in September that an investigation was underway. Trump referred to Omar at a Tennessee rally over the weekend and said Vance and administration officials were looking at the matter.

Those statements have intensified questions about whether political pressure influenced the investigation. Omar and House Democratic leaders characterized the search as an abuse of federal power. The administration has not released evidence establishing that Trump ordered the search, and his Monday statement expressly denied involvement.

The timing is also under scrutiny because Omar is on the ballot and the November midterm elections are 22 days away. Justice Department policy prohibits timing investigative actions to influence an election, and the department has traditionally exercised special caution with overt steps involving candidates close to voting. That practice is often described as a 60-day rule, although it is not a blanket legal prohibition on searches or charges.

A federal judge's approval provides an important legal safeguard, but further details may remain sealed while investigators review materials taken from the home. PBS NewsHour reported that agents were seen carrying boxes to an unmarked vehicle. Any dispute over privileged or constitutionally protected material belonging to a member of Congress could also produce additional court proceedings.

Omar, who was first elected in 2018, represents a Minneapolis-area district and is one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. She came to the United States as a child after fleeing Somalia's civil war. Trump has repeatedly criticized her politics and immigration history during both of his administrations.

As of publication, the Justice Department had announced no indictment or criminal charge against Omar. The central unresolved questions are what alleged conduct the warrant covers, what evidence agents collected and whether the investigation will lead to any formal action.

Sources and image credit

Reporting: Associated Press

Reporting: NBC News

Reporting: PBS NewsHour

Image: Official U.S. House portrait by Kristie Boyd, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain; adapted to a 16:9 canvas).