Law & Justice

Omar’s Legal Team Demands Return of Seized Items After Washington Home Raid

By Al Jazeera Staff

Omar’s attorneys, Amy Jeffress and Joshua Matz, have written to federal prosecutors demanding the return of property seized during a Monday raid on her Washington, D.C. home. They claim the search violated safeguards designed to protect the constitutional rights of members of Congress and was politically motivated. The letter, sent Friday and obtained by the Associated Press, states the investigation into Omar’s immigration history had no legitimate basis and that the search was neither justified nor lawful.

Federal agents searched the residence as part of an inquiry into alleged immigration fraud, seizing her phone and passport and issuing more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to some relatives, according to the Washington Post. Omar’s lawyers also requested that authorities preserve audio and video recordings from the raid.

The attorneys argue that investigators failed to provide a copy of the warrant in advance, did not contact the House Office of General Counsel, and disregarded a magistrate judge’s instructions. They say the judge’s procedures were intended to protect Omar’s constitutional rights as a sitting member of Congress and to safeguard materials related to her legislative work.

Omar’s team contends the investigation’s timing—just weeks before the November midterm elections—indicates political motivation. “Historically, the Department has refrained from this type of investigative activity so close to an election, so as to avoid even the appearance of politically motivated law enforcement actions,” the letter notes.

The Justice Department has rejected the accusations, calling the letter “riddled with false allegations and inaccuracies.” Justice Department spokesperson Emily Covington said, “Our attorneys and law enforcement partners complied with all court orders and legal obligations, as they always do.”

Omar became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000 after fleeing Somalia with her family as a child. She has repeatedly denied allegations about her immigration status, which were also investigated in 2019 during the Trump administration. The 2019 inquiry found insufficient evidence of wrongdoing to warrant a full investigation, according to the Washington Post. The scope of the current investigation remains unclear.

The raid followed remarks by former President Trump at a Tennessee rally, where he described Somalia as a place of “crime and squalor” and suggested that Vice President J.D. Vance and others were investigating Omar. Trump denied any involvement in the raid, stating the matter was “really up to the DOJ.”