A Biden-appointed federal judge in California ruled Wednesday that the Department of Homeland Security must halt certain investigations into suspected illegal voting, citing concerns over voter intimidation.

U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, the jurist in question, was born in Mexico and nominated to the federal bench by President Joe Biden in 2022. Before becoming a federal judge, Martínez-Olguín spent about six years at the American Civil Liberties Union, a progressive civil rights organization, where she worked on women's and immigrants' rights issues.

The activist groups suing DHS "demonstrate[d] that they are likely to succeed in their claim that Defendants have run afoul of the Voting Rights Act’s prohibition of intimidating voter assistance and mobilization," according to Martínez-Olguín.

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The public’s "interests in safe elections, free from interference or intimidation, far exceed (the government’s) purported interest in combating unlawful voting by non-U.S. citizens," she added.

The Trump administration, meanwhile, maintained that noncitizen voting in federal elections is a crime and that DHS has statutory authority to investigate suspected violations. Martínez-Olguín did not find investigating noncitizen voting as itself unlawful, but instead argued that DHS’ methods likely violate the law as it used unreliable source data and sent armed agents to homes to conduct interviews, which could constitute intimidation.

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Lawyers representing the federal government conceded that some American citizens may have been looked at in connection with DHS’ investigations, but contended that in-person interviews were "expressly designed to resolve the discrepancies."

Noncitizen voting is rare, but cases of illegal voting have been documented. News broke earlier this year, for example, that New Jersey erroneously placed over 6,000 non-citizens on its voter rolls. The Justice Department announced charges against 16 individuals in September, including noncitizens accused of voting illegally in federal elections, and brought additional election-related charges in October.

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Martínez-Olguín’s order blocks DHS from carrying out certain field investigations into suspected illegal voting involving U.S. citizens in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin. Several of those states are led by Democrats who have opposed the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies, and some face high-profile elections in November.

Cracking down on illegal voting has been a priority for the second Trump administration, though it has yet to produce evidence of widespread noncitizen voting.

The judge delayed enforcement of her order until Friday, giving the Trump administration time to appeal, and set the restrictions to expire on Election Day unless otherwise ordered.

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"DHS is laser focused on identifying, prosecuting, and removing aliens who vote and dilute the votes of U.S. citizens. ONLY Americans should elect American leaders," a spokesperson for the department told Fox News Digital. "We have no plans to question or investigate people we believe to be U.S. citizens."

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., denied Wednesday that she married her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, to commit immigration fraud and pushed back against claims that they are related.

But when asked if there's any familial relation with her ex-husband, Omar admitted, "Not to my knowledge." 

The interview marked the Somali-born congresswoman's first time speaking with the media since federal agents searched her Washington, D.C., residence on Oct. 12. The congresswoman's office has not responded to Fox News Digital's repeated requests for comment regarding the investigations and raid on her home earlier this month.

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"It all started with the Somali blog," Omar told MS Now host Chris Hayes regarding longstanding rumors that they are siblings. "Somebody put it there, that he had to have been my brother or something to that effect."

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents executed a court-authorized search warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation into possible false statements in Omar's immigration and naturalization documents.

The Justice Department has not publicly detailed the allegations.

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U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia approved the warrant, according to court-related reporting.

Omar has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated. She appeared publicly for the first time since last Monday's raid with a video posted to social media from the back of a car where she asked supporters to keep sending her money.

Federal authorities issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to members of Omar's family, and seized her cellphone during the investigation, according to The Associated Press.

Fox News Digital reported that Omar's sister, Sahra Noor, spoke with federal investigators last week in the wake of the raid.

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A separate inquiry from the immigration fraud investigation is examining Omar's campaign finances and financial disclosures. 

That investigation reportedly began during the Biden administration in 2024. The complaint about her massive wealth disparity in her disclosures was dismissed by congressional ethics hawks but is now being investigated by authorities outside the Capitol, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced last week.

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Both investigations remain ongoing.

A Florida attorney was arrested after she threatened to shoot ICE agents in the head while trying to buy a gun, federal authorities said.

Lisa White, who lives in Mississippi, was arrested in Long Beach after allegedly threatening to "kill federal agents" while attempting to purchase a firearm and pepper spray, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement release.

Homeland Security Investigations identified White as a Florida attorney in a post announcing her arrest on X.

Authorities said White asked whether specific firearms could penetrate ballistic vests, then allegedly said she would target agents’ heads if she could not breach their armor.

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HSI Gulfport special agents responded, interviewed witnesses and located and arrested White, according to the release.

The investigation began Sept. 23 after an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alerted HSI to the encounter at High Caliber Guns, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Sun Herald.

White entered the store around 11:30 a.m. and told employees, "I need a gun," according to the complaint cited by the outlet.

She allegedly identified herself as an activist and protester and said she wanted a firearm for protection at a protest because she believed "ICE agents are becoming crazy and wild."

But White also told an employee she wanted to buy a gun to kill ICE agents, according to the complaint.

While discussing the weapons, White allegedly gestured toward her torso and asked whether the guns could penetrate an agent’s body armor. If they could not, she said she would need to "hit them in the head, shoulder, arm or leg," the complaint states, according to the Sun Herald.

A shop employee reportedly warned White that pointing a gun at law enforcement would likely get her killed.

"If I have to die, I have to die," White responded, according to the complaint.

The employee then suggested White buy pepper spray instead of a gun and directed her to a shooting range for training, the complaint states.

White looked at two pistols but left empty-handed after the shop declined to complete the sale and told her she could return in two to three days, the newspaper reported. Store employees then alerted authorities, prompting the investigation.

"The safety of our personnel is paramount, and HSI takes any threat against federal law enforcement officers with the utmost seriousness," HSI Gulfport Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matthew Reidell said.

"We commend the vigilance of the citizens for recognizing these threats and notifying law enforcement immediately, which allowed us to intervene swiftly."

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White remained in custody as agents prepared a federal charge of influencing, impeding or retaliating against a federal official by threat, ICE said.

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"Threats against federal law enforcement will NOT be tolerated," HSI wrote on X. "HSI will continue to investigate threats against the brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect our homeland."

The arrest comes as ICE reports a sharp increase in threats and attacks against its personnel.

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In its release, the agency cited an increase of more than 1,600% in assaults, 3,300% in vehicle attacks and 8,000% in death threats against ICE officers. It did not provide the underlying totals or comparison period.

ICE said President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin have made clear that violence against law enforcement will not be tolerated, warning that people who threaten or attack officers face arrest and prosecution.

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Fox News Digital reached out to White for comment.