Federal reporting shows an earlier financial inquiry began in 2024, while the investigation behind Monday’s search focuses on immigration and citizenship records.
WASHINGTON, DC — A federal investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar did begin during President Joe Biden’s administration, but available reporting shows it was not the same investigation that led Homeland Security investigators to search the Minnesota Democrat’s Washington home on Oct. 12.
The distinction has become important as questions grow about the origins of federal scrutiny surrounding Omar. The Justice Department opened an inquiry in June 2024 into her finances, campaign spending and contacts with a foreign citizen, according to reporting based on people familiar with that investigation. That inquiry, handled by federal prosecutors in Washington and the department’s public integrity unit, reportedly lost momentum after investigators did not find enough evidence to advance it. The current immigration investigation has a different focus and, according to reporting Tuesday, was renewed by Homeland Security Investigations earlier in 2026.
Federal agents searched Omar’s Washington residence Monday under a warrant obtained by the Justice Department. The department confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations had executed a judicially authorized warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation but did not publicly identify its target or disclose the evidence presented to obtain the warrant. News organizations citing people familiar with the case have reported that investigators are examining immigration and citizenship records involving Omar and her family.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the immigration inquiry centers in part on allegations that Omar or her late father may have provided inaccurate information on immigration documents decades ago. Investigators are examining questions about Omar’s recorded birth date and whether information submitted before her father became a U.S. citizen affected her eligibility to obtain citizenship as a minor. The allegations have circulated for years, and Omar has repeatedly denied accusations that she committed immigration fraud. No criminal charge against Omar has been announced.
That investigation is distinct from the Justice Department inquiry that began under Biden in 2024. The earlier investigation focused on financial matters, including campaign spending and Omar’s interactions with a foreign citizen. Reporting about that probe surfaced publicly in January 2026, after Trump drew attention to questions about Omar’s finances. Accounts of the Biden-era inquiry said it had largely stalled because investigators had not developed sufficient evidence to proceed further.
A separate financial issue is also receiving renewed attention. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office is examining Omar’s financial disclosure forms, Axios reported Tuesday. That investigation is separate from the immigration-related case connected to the search of Omar’s home. The existence of multiple inquiries has contributed to confusion over claims that the investigation behind Monday’s search originated during the Biden administration.
The available chronology does not support describing all federal scrutiny of Omar as one continuous investigation. A financial inquiry was opened by Biden administration Justice Department officials in June 2024. The immigration inquiry that led to the search of Omar’s residence was described by people familiar with the matter as a renewed examination launched by Homeland Security Investigations in 2026. Similar allegations about Omar’s immigration history had been raised years earlier, but federal authorities previously declined to pursue an investigation based on them, according to The Washington Post.
The search has also drawn scrutiny because it occurred three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm election. Omar is seeking another term representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. Democratic leaders have accused the Trump administration of using federal law enforcement against a political opponent, while administration officials have said the investigation concerns possible violations of federal law. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Omar, said Monday that he had nothing to do with the search.
Omar said after the search that she had done nothing wrong and described the action as political intimidation. Federal officials have not publicly released evidence establishing that Omar falsified immigration documents, and the execution of a search warrant does not establish criminal guilt. The Justice Department has not announced charges against her in connection with the immigration investigation.
As of Tuesday, the immigration investigation remains active, and investigators have also issued subpoenas as they examine Omar’s family immigration records, according to published reports. The separate financial inquiries add another layer of federal scrutiny, but the public record currently indicates that the investigation behind the Oct. 12 search should not be characterized simply as a Biden-era investigation.
Author note: Last updated October 13, 2026.