Washington:US Rep. Ilhan Omar has accused the administration of US President Donald Trump of conducting a federal search at her Washington residence in an attempt to suppress voter turnout ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Omar stated that the goal of the operation was to intimidate and scare citizens from participating in the elections. Despite these actions, Omar highlighted that the heavy turnout at early polling sites shows that voters remain undeterred.

The Democratic lawmaker suggested that the raid was staged to appease political allies of the Trump administration who had been demanding action against her. She described the early morning operation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, where federal agents surrounded her residence and pounded on both entrances, as an attempt to "freak" her out.

Omar recounted waking up to urgent banging that sounded like a building evacuation, and she examined the search warrant to ensure legal compliance. The agents reportedly confiscated 17 items, including outdated personal devices and her husband's notebooks.

Omar expressed concerns about safety risks since her home address became public, stating that her family must relocate due to persistent death threats. These threats, she explained, make it unfeasible to remain at their current residence while individuals could potentially track her children's movements.

President Trump suggested that Omar could face imprisonment in connection with a federal immigration inquiry. Omar, who became the first Somali-American lawmaker in the US House of Representatives in 2019, denied any wrongdoing, noting her arrival in the US at age 12 and her naturalization at 17.