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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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Forty House Democrats did not sign a letter condemning the federal investigation into Representative Ilhan Omar and calling on the Trump administration to avoid further action that could affect the election.
The October 26 letter was led by Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington state and signed by 175 members of Congress. It criticized the raid on the Minnesota Democrat's Washington, D.C., home and urged Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to refrain from further action that could affect the election on November 3. Omar will face Republican John Nagel, a retired Minnesota State Patrol lieutenant.
Lawmakers criticized the search of Omar’s home and what they called the “weaponization” of federal law enforcement.
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"Congresswoman Omar is seeking reelection in Minnesota’s 5th congressional district in just one week. News of the search warrant, whether properly predicated or not, could affect voters’ decisions, which is exactly why federal law enforcement should not engage in such conduct when voters are casting their ballots. This type of interference strips Minnesotans of their right to a free and fair election guaranteed to them under the Constitution," the letter reads.
Newsweek conducted a comparison of the published signatories with the House Democratic roster, identifying 40 Democrats who were not listed as signers, excluding Omar herself.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was among the Democrats who did not sign the letter, along with Representatives Steny Hoyer, Josh Gottheimer, Henry Cuellar, and Jared Golden.
Newsweek has contacted the offices of Omar, Pelosi, Hoyer, Cuellar, Golden and Gottheimer via email and is awaiting responses.
Not appearing on the letter does not establish that a member supports the investigation or disagrees with its criticism.
The New York Times, citing current and former officials familiar with the investigation, reported Thursday that the federal inquiry into Omar is examining whether her 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi was intended to help him obtain a green card.
The Times reported that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security under the Obama administration examined the marriage in 2016 and found some evidence suggesting it was fraudulent. However, the matter stalled after prosecutors concluded the potential offense was outside the five-year statute of limitations. Omar has repeatedly denied allegations that Elmi is her brother and refuted any wrongdoing related to immigration fraud.
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List of Democrats Who Did Not Sign Letter
Shomari Figures
Terri Sewell
Mike Thompson
John Garamendi
Josh Harder
Mark DeSaulnier
Nancy Pelosi
Adam Gray
Jimmy Panetta
Raul Ruiz
Norma Torres
John Larson
Darren Soto
Kathy Castor
Jared Moskowitz
Lucy McBath
Ed Case
Brad Schneider
Eric Sorensen
Frank Mrvan
Jared Golden
Steny Hoyer
Jake Auchincloss
Hillary Scholten
Kristen McDonald Rivet
Haley Stevens
Chris Pappas
Josh Gottheimer
Tom Suozzi
Laura Gillen
Josh Riley
Don Davis
Deborah Ross
Marcy Kaptur
Janelle Bynum
Henry Cuellar
Vicente Gonzalez
Eugene Vindman
Suhas Subramanyam
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez
Why Is Ilhan Omar Under Investigation?
Federal investigators are examining allegations that Omar or her late father provided false information on immigration documents after the family arrived in the United States as refugees in the 1990s or during her citizenship process. Omar became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000.
Federal agents searched Omar's Washington home on October 12, and investigators obtained a DNA sample, a source close to the matter previously told Newsweek. Omar's sister, Sahra Noor, also voluntarily spoke with investigators, according to the source. No court has found Omar committed immigration fraud.
The Justice Department said in a court filing Tuesday that the search warrant involving Omar remained only partially executed and that the investigation extended to other, unidentified individuals. Prosecutors said they expected the warrant to be fully executed "in short order." The filing described the investigation as involving potential evidence of an immigration-related conspiracy, including making a false statement. No charges against Omar have been publicly announced.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche signed off on the warrant and "confirmed that the warrant’s timing did not have “the purpose of affecting any election” or “of giving an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party," according to court filings.
“This weaponization of law enforcement to harass a sitting Member of Congress 22 days before an election is unprecedented and unacceptable,” wrote the coalition of House Democrats. “We stand with Congresswoman Omar and condemn the weaponization of law enforcement against her. You have already disgraced the offices you hold, and we demand you to refrain from taking any further actions that could affect the outcome of the upcoming election.”
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and James Debens
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