Federal Agents Search Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Trash for DNA

Federal agents allegedly searched through Ilhan Omar’s discarded trash for DNA days before raiding the Minnesota congresswoman’s Washington, DC, residence, according to sources who say the investigation may extend well beyond the allegations already made public.

Sources familiar with the case told NewsNation that investigators sifted through Omar’s garbage in an effort to recover genetic material belonging to her or members of her family. The sources described the possible evidence as “critical” to the investigation.

Law enforcement officers can sometimes collect DNA from discarded items without obtaining a search warrant, allowing investigators to pursue potential evidence without alerting the people under scrutiny.

“I don’t know exactly what they’re doing in this dumpster-diving because there are so many things that you could be looking for,” former FBI special agent Tracy Walder told On Balance.

“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,” Walder said. “You don’t need a warrant to really do any of that, as long as it’s in a public place.”

The reported DNA search, described as an unusual step, took place days before Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative division of ICE, conducted an aggressive search of the Democratic lawmaker’s home on Monday.

Agents reportedly took Omar’s cellphone, notebooks, personal computers and passport. Authorities have not publicly explained the precise focus of what has been described as a federal criminal investigation.

A federal judge authorized the search after investigators presented messages sent by Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, whose phone was seized earlier this year, The New York Times reported. The contents of those private communications have not been disclosed.

The investigation reportedly centers on immigration-fraud allegations, including claims that Omar’s father lied about her age when she obtained US citizenship in 2000. It also examines an allegation that she later married her brother to assist him in securing citizenship.

Omar, who has represented Minnesota in Congress since 2019, called the search the latest escalation in President Donald Trump’s “campaign of political intimidation.” Trump has denied any involvement in the investigation.

“Well, I understand they’re looking at her very carefully. I’ve always found her to be totally crooked, personally, but that has nothing to do with me,” Trump said when asked about the raid.

“I think she’s a terrible person. Just a complainer. She comes from a country that is… a non-country, and then she comes over here and she complains about our Constitution,” he added.

“I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ. I have nothing to do with it,” Trump said.

However, sources familiar with the high-profile investigation told NewsNation that the allegations already in the public domain may represent only part of the case. Omar’s home was searched as more than a dozen other raids were reportedly carried out at the same time.

The inquiry also allegedly involves additional members of Omar’s family. Some have reportedly been identified in subpoenas issued by federal prosecutors.

According to the outlet, investigators are now expected to present the evidence they have collected to a grand jury.

But the timing is notable, with the evidence-gathering raids taking place just three weeks before her re-election bid, despite the Justice Department’s unwritten 60-day practice of avoiding actions that could influence voters’ decisions.

The high-profile investigation is being coordinated by Homeland Security Investigations’ Minneapolis office, which could suggest a link to allegations of public-benefits fraud involving some members of the local Somali community. 

Former federal prosecutor Shan Wu, however, questioned how DNA allegedly collected during the secret ‘dumpster diving’ strategy could be relevant to a fraud investigation. 

‘If we’re looking at DNA, it’s like a whodunnit: “Were they there?” And it’s kind of hard to figure out how the fraud investigation would figure into that type of evidence,’ Wu told the outlet.

Genetic material could, however, be relevant to longstanding, unsubstantiated claims that Omar married Somali community leader Ahmed Elmi, whom some have alleged is her brother, in 2009 to help him secure US citizenship. 

The president has repeatedly peddled the accusation himself, but Omar has denied the claims, describing them as ‘racist.’

One possible explanation for the unfolding chaos is an effort to strip Omar of her US citizenship and deport her, steps that both Trump and his Homeland Security chief have floated. 

To strip Omar of her US citizenship, the Justice Department would have to file a lawsuit in federal court and prove she made a material misrepresentation to obtain it. 

Authorities are seeking immigration records to determine whether Omar or her father, Nur Omar Mohamed, changed her age on her citizenship application, listing her as 17 rather than 18. 

Her age at the time was crucial. At 18, she would have been considered an adult and had to pursue her own immigration process. At 17, she would have qualified for citizenship automatically when her father’s naturalization was approved. 

Omar has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, stating in September 2018 that she became a citizen ‘before I turned 18’ through her father’s naturalization. 

On Thursday, the Somali-born congresswoman responded to the developments in a statement posted on X, writing: ‘Trump and his administration have been after me since I arrived in Congress.’

‘I have always stood up to him and that will never change,’ she added. ‘The pedophile protector will never silence me.’

The Justice Department initially investigated Omar under Biden, a Democrat, before closing the case. Parts of the investigation were later revived and expanded under the Trump administration.

The 44-year-old congresswoman, who is seeking a fifth term, was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, to an affluent family that later settled in the Washington, DC, suburbs. They moved to Minnesota when she was entering high school.