Federal agents searched U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C.-area home Monday, an operation that drew sharp criticism from Democrats because it took place less than a month before the Minnesota congresswoman faces voters in the midterm election. Homeland Security Investigations agents carried out the search under a judicially authorized warrant, the Justice Department said. The department described it as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation but did not specify its subject or provide further details. Agents were seen carrying boxes from the residence, and the surrounding street was blocked off during the operation. Omar, a Democrat representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, said the search was an effort to target the president’s political opponents. In a statement posted on X, she called it an attempt to “weaponize federal law enforcement” and said, “I will not be silenced.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other senior Democrats condemned the operation’s timing, saying it came fewer than 30 days before the election. The Justice Department has historically sought to avoid overt investigative actions involving political candidates in the 60 days before a primary or general election, according to the account of longstanding department practice. The investigation’s scope remains unclear. Trump administration officials have publicly referred to an inquiry involving Omar in recent months. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said last month that an “ongoing investigation” could involve potential fraud in immigration paperwork connected to Omar’s family. Vice President JD Vance has also accused Omar of immigration fraud, an allegation she has denied. Neither official disclosed details supporting the claims in the comments cited Monday. President Donald Trump referred to Omar at a rally in Tennessee two days before the search, disparaging her country of origin and suggesting that Vance and others were investigating her. Omar has faced years of attacks from Republicans focused on her immigrant background and unsubstantiated allegations about her personal history; she has broadly rejected those accusations as lies. Omar was elected to Congress in 2018 and represents a district that includes Minneapolis. She is among the progressive lawmakers known as the Squad and was one of the first two Muslim American women elected to the House. Republicans removed her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2023, citing her remarks about Israel. The search adds a high-profile federal investigation to an already contentious campaign season. Without public information about the warrant’s basis or the investigation’s subject, the department’s next steps—and whether any allegations will result in charges—remain unknown.