
US authorities raided the Washington-area home of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in the early hours of Monday morning. The Justice Department said the raid was part of an ongoing federal investigation.
The news was confirmed by a Justice Department spokesperson, who announced that National Security Investigations agents executed a court-authorized search warrant.
According to Fox News, the raid is related to a criminal investigation into alleged fraud in Ilhan Omar's immigration documents. The documents, according to the media, were completed by her late father when she was still a child. However, authorities have not provided further details about the subject of the investigation.
Representatives for the congresswoman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The raid comes at a tense political moment
The event comes at a time of heightened political tension in the US, just over three weeks before the midterm elections, scheduled for November 3. In these elections, President Donald Trump's Republicans aim to maintain their narrow majority in Congress.
Ilhan Omar, born in Somalia and one of the most critical voices against Trump in Congress, has been constantly the target of the American president's harsh statements.
She has described Trump's constant attention to her as an "unhealthy and frightening obsession."
The US president has repeatedly criticized the Somali-American community and used harsh language towards immigrants and religious minorities, statements that have prompted backlash from civil rights groups.
In February, Trump publicly attacked Omar and Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who is also Muslim, after both criticized him during his State of the Union address, where the president defended his administration's immigration policies.
So far, the Department of Justice has not released any further details about the investigation and it has not been confirmed whether criminal charges have been filed against the congresswoman.