Omar says Trump administration is 'running scared' after search of her home

Rep. Ilhan Omar, whose Washington home was searched by federal agents on Oct. 12, told supporters in a video that the administration is "running scared" and asked them to keep donating ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said in a new video message that the Trump administration is "running scared," days after federal agents searched her Washington home, and asked supporters to keep backing her campaign ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.

"We're not going to be intimidated. We're not going to be silenced. We're not going to be scared," Omar said, thanking those who sent notes and small donations. "It is going to be a very expensive and challenging time," she added, urging people to give "$5, $10, $20" if they can.

What the search involved

A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent (illustrative, file)

Homeland Security Investigations agents carried out the search on Oct. 12 under a judicially authorized warrant obtained by the Justice Department. Sources told ABC News and NBC News that the long-running probe, which also involves the US attorney's office in Minneapolis, relates in part to Omar's immigration paperwork.

MS NOW reported, citing a source, that agents seized Omar's laptop, cellphone and passport. CNN reported that Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh limited prosecutors' access to her records before approving the warrant, citing constitutional protections for members of Congress. Omar has not been charged.

Omar's sister and other relatives have been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury in Minnesota, and her attorneys have demanded the return of seized property, calling the search "neither justified nor lawful." The Justice Department said their letter was "riddled with false allegations."

Reactions

Omar called the search an "attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement." Trump said it had "nothing to do with me." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other top Democrats blamed what they called Trump's "violent mass deportation machine."

Omar, who was born in Somalia and became a US citizen in 2000, is running for reelection in her Minneapolis district. The Justice Department has traditionally avoided overt investigative steps against candidates close to an election.

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