Lawyers for Democratic U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar have demanded the return of property seized during a federal raid of her Washington, D.C. home, alleging the Department of Justice conducted a politically motivated investigation and failed to adhere to judicial instructions.

In a letter sent to federal prosecutors, Omar's legal team asserted that the search, conducted on Monday, was "neither justified nor lawful" and suggested "clear as day" political motivations behind the pre-election investigation.

The legal team, comprising Amy Jeffress and Joshua Matz, challenged the investigation into Omar's immigration history, stating there was "no legitimate basis for any suggestion that she has violated any law concerning her citizenship status." They further accused federal agents of threatening the separation of powers and disregarding a magistrate judge’s orders during the search of her northeast Washington residence.

Federal agents reportedly seized Omar's phone and passport as part of an investigation into alleged immigration fraud. The issuance of over a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including some to relatives, was also noted by The Washington Post. Omar's lawyers requested that all audio and video recordings from the search be preserved.

Omar's lawyers claim that investigators did not provide them with a copy of the warrant in advance and failed to contact the House of Representatives’ Office of General Counsel, thereby disregarding the magistrate judge’s directives. This notice, they argued, would have allowed Omar to seek legal counsel and potentially challenge the warrant through legislative means.

The legal team emphasized that the procedures outlined by the judge are designed to protect Omar's constitutional rights as a sitting member of Congress and to prevent the seizure of materials related to her legislative work. They also pointed to the timing of the investigation, its proximity to the November midterm elections, as evidence of political motivation.

"Historically, the Department has refrained from this type of investigative activity so close to an election, so as to avoid even the appearance of politically motivated law enforcement actions," the lawyers wrote in their letter.

The Justice Department has rejected these accusations, describing the letter as "riddled with false allegations and inaccuracies." Officials stated that their attorneys and law enforcement partners complied with all court orders.