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Most political storms announce themselves with speeches and press releases. This one arrived before sunrise. US authorities conducted a predawn raid Monday on the Washington-area home of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump and a frequent target of his political insults, as part of an ongoing investigation, the Justice Department said.

What the Probe Reportedly Targets

A person familiar with the investigation said it relates to alleged immigration fraud, and that part of the probe concerns the Somali-born lawmaker’s immigration paperwork, which was filled out by her late father when she was a child.

Omar Fires Back

Omar wrote in a social media post that the government is being weaponized against a political enemy of the president. “For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns,” she said. “This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced.”

Other Democrats accused Trump and his administration of abuse of power. Omar, 44, is seeking a fifth two-year term in the House in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

The Government’s Account

Announcing the raid, a Justice Department spokesperson said: “Today in the Washington, DC area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice. This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal investigation.” Homeland Security Investigations is part of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

Tom Homan, the administration’s border czar, told Fox Business Network the Justice Department is leading the investigation with the Department of Homeland Security, though he declined to discuss specifics of an ongoing criminal probe.

A Warning Weeks in Advance

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a Trump appointee, said last month that “something’s gonna happen” in the investigation into Omar’s family’s entry into the United States. “If we can prove that you shouldn’t have been here in the first place, we’ll deport you,” Mullin told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson at the time.

Timing Under Scrutiny

The raid came a little more than three weeks before the midterms, with Trump’s party fighting to keep control of Congress. Omar, a prominent progressive, represents a safe Democratic district and won reelection in 2024 by 50 percentage points.

Democrats Cry Foul

In a joint statement, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, joined by Reps. Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar, called the raid “deeply disturbing” and said it “raises serious questions about the” weaponization of the federal government against Trump’s enemies. Republicans have “relentlessly targeted” Omar, they said, adding that Trump’s “mass deportation machine has descended upon the home of a duly elected Member of Congress and her family.” They vowed to “deliver full accountability” for what they called a “rogue abuse of power.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, wrote: “Americans see this for what it is. President Trump is abusing his power to go after political opponents weeks before an election.”

The Department’s Own Rules

Justice Department policy bars prosecutors and agents from timing any action to affect an election’s outcome or to benefit a candidate or party. The department has historically avoided investigative steps against political candidates within about 60 days of an election.

A Pattern of Investigations Into Trump Critics

During Trump’s second term, the Justice Department has investigated and charged a range of perceived political enemies. It has charged former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former national security adviser turned critic John Bolton. It has also investigated Democratic lawmakers who urged the military not to follow illegal orders, Sen. Adam Schiff, and Federal Reserve officials Jerome Powell and Lisa Cook.

Mixed Results in Court

A federal judge threw out the case against James and one of two brought against Comey. Bolton pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced later this month. Grand juries and federal judges have stymied several other probes.

A “Creepy Obsession”

Trump has cast the Somali American community as a threat to Minnesota in a burst of anti-Somali and anti-Muslim rhetoric. Omar has called his focus on her an “unhealthy and creepy obsession.”

Last week, Trump called Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who is Muslim, a “RADICAL Extremist” and “Terrorist Sympathizer” while backing Republican Mike Rogers. Civil rights advocates have criticized Trump’s rhetoric toward minorities and immigrants, including his earlier description of Somalis as “garbage.”

Threats and Violence

In February, Trump said Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, also Muslim, should be “institutionalized” and sent back to “where they came from,” after both criticized him during his State of the Union address. Omar has said she and her family have faced death threats, which she attributes to “hateful political rhetoric,” especially from Trump.

Last month, Minnesota man Anthony James Kazmierczak, who squirted vinegar on Omar, was sentenced to one year and two months in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a federal official. He admitted attacking her because he disagreed with her progressive views.

With the election weeks away and the investigation ongoing, the raid has turned a legal matter into a national argument over where law enforcement ends and politics begins.