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Fifteen major news organizations asked a federal court Thursday to release search warrant documents and supporting affidavits used by federal agents during a raid on Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., home earlier this week.
Fourteen media organizations, including Reuters, The Associated Press, The Washington Post and CNN, filed a joint motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, while The New York Times pursued a separate legal challenge seeking disclosure of the records.
The news organizations argued that the public has a constitutional right to examine the legal basis for a search of an elected official's private residence, particularly after a warrant has been executed and returned to the court.
Their requests cover the search warrant and its attachments, the underlying application, affidavits establishing probable cause, motions and orders related to sealing the records, and an inventory of property seized during the Oct. 12 operation.
The organizations also sought related court docket entries, while The New York Times separately requested transcripts of any proceedings concerning the warrant.
In their filings, the news organizations argued that previous public acknowledgments by Trump administration officials weakened the government's justification for keeping the records sealed.
They said legitimate concerns about investigative confidentiality or individual privacy could be addressed through targeted redactions rather than withholding the documents in their entirety.
Citing the legal doctrine of "experience and logic," the organizations maintained that public access to judicial records helps prevent investigative abuses, promotes fairness and strengthens confidence in the justice system.
They also emphasized the significance of transparency in an investigation involving an elected federal official just weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Federal agents executed a court-authorized search warrant at Omar's Washington residence at approximately 6 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12.
The Justice Department confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations conducted the search as part of an active federal inquiry into immigration documents completed during Omar's childhood, according to Fox News.
Omar condemned the operation, describing it as an attempt by President Donald Trump's administration to intimidate political opponents.
The investigation comes amid escalating tensions between Trump and Omar over immigration enforcement and allegations of fraud involving Minnesota's Somali community.
Trump has repeatedly linked immigration enforcement initiatives in Minnesota, including operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to allegations of fraud while criticizing Omar's background and citizenship.
Omar, who was born in Somalia, arrived in the United States with her family in 1995 after they secured asylum.
The congresswoman has been a prominent critic of Trump's immigration policies, including federal enforcement operations in her home state of Minnesota.
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