Democrat Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has broken her silence while being at the center of a federal immigration fraud investigation.
The Democrat from Minnesota posted a video to thank her supporters for their donations and to ask for more, citing the ‘challenging time’ she is facing.
‘Hi everyone, Ilhan here,’ she began in the video taken as she was traveling inside a vehicle. ‘I just wanted to say thank you so much for the support, for everyone who sent $5, $10, $20 – that goes a long way as we fight Trump and his administration for trying to intimidate me and so many people right before the midterm elections.
The congresswoman is facing federal investigation into alleged immigration fraud, following a search of her Washington, D.C., home by federal agents as authorities examine decades-old immigration and naturalisation records.
The investigation reportedly centres on whether Omar or her late father provided false information on immigration documents when her family arrived in the United States as refugees from Somalia in 1995, or during the process that led to her becoming a U.S. citizen in 2000.
According to Reuters, the search warrant listed potential offences including conspiracy, immigration fraud, and making false statements on immigration paperwork. The investigation is being conducted by federal authorities, including Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Associated Press also reported that investigators seized Omar’s phone and issued grand jury subpoenas to some of her relatives as part of the inquiry.
Omar, a Democratic congresswoman representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, has strongly denied wrongdoing and accused the administration of using federal law enforcement to target political opponents.
