Ilhan Omar home raid, Haines attack: Inside rise in violence on officials

Violence against officials on the rise, with US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Australian MP Helen Haines among the latest victims.

The full report

US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has been forced to move out of her Washington, DC residence due to safety concerns following a raid on her home, amid growing threats of violence against politicians. According to Al Jazeera English, the raid was part of an “ongoing federal criminal investigation” and was conducted with a “judicially authorised search warrant”.

The investigation into Omar's activities may include charges of conspiracy and making false statements in her immigration paperwork, as reported by NBC News. Omar has been the target of right-wing conspiracy theories about her immigration status, including allegations that she had married her brother, which she has repeatedly denied as “disgusting lies”.

Omar has been a vocal critic of US President Donald Trump and has been the subject of his ire, with Trump threatening to deport her. She has served as a congressional representative for the state of Minnesota since January 2019 and has been physically assaulted in the past, including being sprayed with an unknown substance by an assailant in January this year.

In a separate incident, Australian independent MP Helen Haines was hit by a car outside her electorate office, resulting in the amputation of both of her legs. Australian police described the attack as a “targeted attack” and warned of growing “online extremism” and recorded a rise in abuse, threats and intimidation targeting lawmakers.