ROCHESTER, Minn. — Sahra Noor, the older sister of Representative Ilhan Omar, who is currently promoting her memoir about being a Somali immigrant, canceled a scheduled event citing a “family emergency.” This comes in the wake of investigations following a raid on Omar’s home.
Omar is under federal scrutiny for alleged immigration fraud and is also being investigated regarding her financial disclosures. Noor, who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee with Omar in the 1990s, was to appear at the University of Minnesota Rochester on Thursday evening.
Reports indicate that Noor has been subpoenaed in connection with her sister’s immigration inquiry. She currently resides in Nairobi, Kenya, according to her LinkedIn profile, but is traveling globally to promote her book, “Salt in the Snow: A Somali Immigrant Story.”
Fox News Digital attempted to contact Noor for her thoughts but received no response prior to publication.
A flyer shared by Garden Party Books, a local Rochester bookstore, indicated that the event was set for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Intercultural Student Center. Upon arrival, Fox News Digital found the venue empty, having RSVP’d previously but without any notification about cancellations or changes.
Garden Party Books confirmed that the event was called off due to a “family emergency” concerning Noor.
The cancellation coincides with speculation that Omar might have left the country after the recent raid. Since the home raid on Monday, Omar has not been publicly seen, and her husband was visibly defensive when asked about rumors of her departure.
The flyer noted that Garden Party Books, the University of Minnesota Bookstores, and the Rochester Public Library were “proud supporters” of the event and portrayed Noor as a “poet, storyteller and health system leader,” emphasizing her book’s themes of migration, motherhood, loss, and family.
Noor launched her book at a Nairobi event on August 13, 2026, and has participated in festivals in Cape Town to promote it. Now, she is continuing her tour across the United States.
She previously hosted events in Minneapolis and St. Paul earlier this month, and her next scheduled appearance is in Seattle at the Somali Community Cultural Innovation Hub on October 23.
Meanwhile, federal agents conducted a raid on Omar’s residence early Monday morning, executing a search warrant. The investigation reportedly focuses on whether Omar or her late father, Nur Mohamed, provided false information on her citizenship application decades prior.
Sources have indicated that this investigation may lead to the congresswoman’s denaturalization. Reports also confirmed that during the raid, Omar’s phone, passport, and computers were taken.
Omar has condemned the raid, calling it an “outrageous abuse of power” and expressing concern over the politicization of federal law enforcement targeting political adversaries.
