WASHINGTON: US federal agents searched the Washington home of Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar on Monday as part of a criminal investigation, officials said, marking a dramatic escalation in President Donald Trump`s confrontation with the outspoken lawmaker.

The search was conducted by agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigative arm of US immigration enforcement, according to Fox News, citing sources familiar with the matter. The operation, just three weeks before Omar seeks reelection in the Nov 3 midterms, raised concerns about longstanding Justice Department practices intended to prevent law enforcement actions from influencing elections.

The cable network reported that the operation was linked to a criminal fraud investigation concerning immigration paperwork submitted on behalf of the Somali-born congresswoman by her late father when she was a child.Trump`s border enforcement chief Tom Homan told Fox News he was unwilling to give details ahead of any official announcement but confirmed that an `investigation was ongoing for a while` and that `there was a warrant executed this morning.` US media quoted the Justice Department confirming that agents had carried out a courtauthorised search in the Washington area, but officials did not identify Omar or disclose the nature of the investigation.

The search reportedly began around 6am. Video footage apparently taken by a member of the public and posted to X showed several agents wearing HSI jackets outside Omar`s Washington residence. Omar, 44, is a leftist Democrat and fierce critic of Trump, particularly his administration`s sweeping crackdown on immigration. The Republican president has repeatedly clashed with Omar, who came to the United States from Somalia as a child and has frequently been the target ofhis political attacks.

Rare offense In September, Homan said that Omar was the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation, but again declined to provide details. Omar said at the time that Homeland Security officials had not contacted her about any investigation, dismissing the allegations against her as politically motivated attacks.

There was no immediate public response from Omar to Monday`s search. But Xochitl Hinojosa, a former director of public affairs at the Justice Department, criticised the timing of the search. `There`s a longstanding rule at DOJ that you don`t take overt actions like this before an election, especially when there`s a candidate on the ballot, she wrote on X. Aaron ReichlinMelnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, wrote on X that the `precedent set by this action is chilling,` warning that raids targeting political candidates shortly before elections could become more common.-AFP