See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source
OTTAWA — The Minnesota Congresswoman targeted by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigation called Monday’s raid on her Washington, D.C. home a “weaponization” of federal law enforcement.
And Democratic Party lawmakers joined Ilhan Omar in denouncing Monday’s raid, which she said in a statement amounts to an abuse of power by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“For a decade, Donald Trump has relentlessly targeted Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with inflammatory rhetoric, repeatedly putting a target on her back,” read a statement from her office.
“Now, those attacks have escalated to a pointless federal raid. The Congresswoman has done nothing wrong. No president should be able to use the power of the federal government to intimidate his political enemies.”
The raid came about a month before Americans head to the polls for midterm elections, seen by many as a barometer check on Trump’s second term.
With paper-thin Republican majorities in Congress on the line, the midterms will determine if Trump retains legislative authority to pass key policies, or if he ends his term facing two years of intense Democratic oversight and subpoena power.
Investigation will ‘follow the facts,’ says JD Vance
Born in Somalia, Omar was 12 years old when she arrived in the U.S. after her family secured asylum.
A polarizing figure in American politics, Omar is also one of Trump’s most vocal critics — making the federal search of her home a focal point in the escalating clash between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats.
On Monday, U.S. federal agents descended on her Washington, D.C. home to conduct searches as part of a criminal investigation.
The Justice Department claimed DHS agents “executed a judicially authorized search warrant.”
White House officials have accused Omar — the first Somali-born politician to be elected to the U.S. Congress — of committing immigration fraud, as well as accusations of marrying her own brother in 2009 to help him obtain U.S. citizenship.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance said investigators will “follow the facts” when it comes to the investigation.
“I did not have advance knowledge that her home was being raided,” Vance said.
“We try to run the Department of Justice in a fair and honest way, we try to let the law follow the facts rather than creating facts just to prosecute people we don’t like.”
He said there were “serious allegations” made against Omar, and they are being looked into.
“If there’s a real case there, we’re going to follow the facts.”
- JD Vance warns U.S. Olympians to stop 'popping off about politics'
- J.D. Vance roasts CBC and Canada's 'immigration insanity'
Democrats speak out
Monday’s raid was condemned by Democratic lawmakers.
“Right wing conspiracy theorists have been targeting Rep. Omar for about eight years,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters on Monday.
“There’s nothing there relative to behavior that should merit this type of extraordinary raid, let alone inside of 30 days of an election.”
Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz, also a member of the Democratic Party, likewise named the looming elections as the government’s justification for launching the raid.
“Americans see this for what it is: President Trump is abusing his power to go after political opponents weeks before an election,” he said in a statement.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume