A text message discovered on the cellphone of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) sister reportedly helped federal investigators obtain a search warrant for the Minnesota Democrat’s Washington, D.C., residence, introducing another development in the expanding investigation into her family’s immigration history.
According to a report published by the New York Post on October 17, investigators examined communications recovered from a phone belonging to Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, before federal agents searched the congresswoman’s home on October 12.
The report indicated that the communications raised additional questions about information submitted by Omar’s family during immigration proceedings dating back to the 1990s.
However, the contents of the messages have not been publicly disclosed, leaving unanswered questions about what investigators discovered and how the communications contributed to the court-authorized search.
The latest allegations also extend into Noor’s professional background.
A circulating account claims Noor previously operated a healthcare company that received approximately $20 million in USAID funding and maintained an address associated with entities involved in Minnesota’s Somali-linked fraud investigations.
Those financial allegations have not been independently substantiated, and no publicly established evidence demonstrates that the alleged funding or address connection involved criminal wrongdoing by Noor or Omar.
Meanwhile, federal authorities are examining whether Omar, her late father and other relatives provided inaccurate information when the family entered the United States as Somali refugees in 1995.
The investigation reportedly involves potential immigration fraud, conspiracy and false statements in government documents.
Investigators are examining the family’s immigration paperwork, including questions surrounding Omar’s age when her father became a naturalized American citizen in 2000.
Omar has maintained that she was 17 at the time and obtained citizenship through her father’s naturalization.
However, discrepancies involving records listing her birth year as either 1981 or 1982 have become a focus of the investigation.
Federal authorities have also reportedly examined whether her father’s background was accurately represented during the family’s immigration proceedings.
The October 12 search resulted in agents seizing Omar’s cellphone, passport and other personal belongings.
Investigators have issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including requests directed at members of her family.
The evidence is being gathered as part of an investigation involving a federal grand jury in Minnesota.
Additional reporting has indicated that investigators collected potential DNA evidence from discarded trash, although authorities have not publicly explained how that material relates to the allegations.
Federal immigration official Tom Homan has also suggested that the investigation could involve issues extending beyond the original immigration paperwork allegations.
Homan reportedly indicated that he possessed additional information concerning the investigation but did not publicly disclose specific evidence supporting broader criminal allegations.
Speculation has also emerged that the federal inquiry could produce substantial indictments after the November 3 midterm elections.
However, prosecutors have not announced such indictments or confirmed that charges will be filed.
The investigation follows earlier federal scrutiny of Omar’s immigration history.
A review conducted during Trump’s first administration did not establish sufficient evidence of citizenship-related wrongdoing, according to previous reporting.
The matter has since been reopened, with investigators pursuing additional records, interviews and electronic communications.
Omar has repeatedly denied the allegations and accused President Donald Trump’s administration of using federal law enforcement to target a political opponent.
Her attorneys have also challenged the legality of the search and demanded the return of seized belongings.
For now, the reported discovery of family communications represents another potentially significant investigative lead, but the evidence has not been publicly released.
Whether those messages establish wrongdoing, support additional charges or ultimately lead prosecutors to close the investigation remains unresolved.
