Justice Department opposes unsealing warrant for search of Rep. Ilhan Omar's DC home

Paul Walsh, Star Tribune on Oct 28, 2026

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The U.S. Department of Justice is declining to unseal a search warrant carried out this month at the Washington, D.C., home of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

Homeland Security Investigations agents carried boxes of evidence from Omar’s home on Oct. 12 in connection with federal authorities investigating potential fraud in her family’s immigration paperwork.

The New York Times and Judicial Watch, a group that advocates for conservative causes, are among 15 news outlets requesting that Judge James Boasberg unseal the search warrant and related records.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, pushed back on the request in a court filing Tuesday, explaining that “the press is trying to unseal materials about a search warrant ... within an active criminal investigation all before a charging decision has been reached and publicly announced. ... Unsealing everything now imperils the investigation.”

Pirro contended that the news organizations have failed to identify “a single case in which a court unsealed a warrant-related document while the execution was still ongoing and during an investigation.”

She did hold out in her filing that at some point in time, her office “will not necessarily oppose unsealing at least some of the search warrant records,” but in the meantime, the court should deny the request.

Pirro has said “there are several investigations going on” related to Omar, including issues related to her financial disclosures.

A source familiar with the investigation said officials confiscated the Minneapolis Democrat’s cell phone, laptop, notebooks and passport during the raid and that some of her family members have been subpoenaed, including Omar’s sister.

U.S. border czar Tom Homan said on Fox News that he was told federal investigators have a “strong case” against Omar and it’s possible she could be deported back to Somalia if found guilty of committing any wrongdoing.

Omar has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Omar was born in Somalia, and her family fled the civil war there before eventually arriving in Minnesota in 1997, when Omar was 14 years old. She has said that she naturalized as a U.S. citizen before turning 18.

In an interview last week on the MS NOW television news network, Omar said, “I’m confident in my truth. I’m confident in the fact that I didn’t do anything wrong. ... Everybody can see this for what it is. And, you know, I do feel confident that when it’s all said and done, that I’m going to be just fine.”

Omar and Trump have been sparring verbally for the past several years over issues of public policy, character and personal background.

Just last week, President Donald Trump accused Omar of using an alias as her official name, saying that therefore she was not qualified to serve in Congress and should resign immediately. Omar has categorically denied the claim.

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