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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Comment
Moira Donegan

The raid on Ilhan Omar’s house is dangerous political theater

Supporters of Democratic US Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota attend a rally in Minneapolis after federal authorities conducted a predawn raid on Omar's Washington, DC-area homeA person holds a placard during a rally of supporters of Democratic US Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, after federal authorities conducted a predawn raid on Omar’s Washington, DC-area home, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, October 12, 2026. REUTERS/Tim Evans
‘It was meant to make the president seem strong and appease the racist impulses of his base.’ Photograph: Tim Evans/Reuters

On Monday, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security raided the Washington DC area home of Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota congresswoman and a progressive Democrat, in the latest instance of Donald Trump’s effort to weaponize the national security state to harass, punish and embarrass his political opponents.

The raid, which was approved by a judge after a reportedly extensive back and forth with federal security officials, was nominally carried out in connection with a spurious criminal investigation into Omar’s childhood immigration to the US.

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