Immigration agents search congresswoman Ilhan Omar's home

US immigration agents have searched the home of Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar as part of a criminal investigation.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents "executed a judicially authorised search warrant" for the property in the Washington DC area, a US justice department spokesperson said.

Omar, a Democrat and outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, described the search on social media as "an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement".

"For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns," Omar said in the post.

"This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced."

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said he had "nothing to do" with the justice department's investigation into Omar, while describing her as a "complainer" and a "terrible person".

The Republican president said of the Somali-born congresswoman: "She comes from a country that is a non-country.

"And then she comes over here and she complains about our Constitution."

Omar's communications director, Jacklyn Rogers, called Monday morning's raid "an outrageous abuse of power" by the Trump administration, and said the congresswoman "has done nothing wrong".

The nature of the criminal investigation remains unclear.

A BBC crew saw several agents at Omar's home, some carrying boxes to a van.

News of the search was first reported by Fox News, which said the investigation was about immigration paperwork filed by her late father when Omar was a child.