The older sister of embattled Rep.
Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., abruptly canceled a scheduled book event in Minnesota, citing a "family emergency" as federal scrutiny intensifies around the congresswomans immigration history and financial disclosures.
According to Fox News, Sahra Noor, who is currently on a global tour promoting her memoir about coming to America as a Somali refugee, was slated to appear Thursday evening at the University of Minnesota Rochester. The event was part of the promotional campaign for her recently released book, "Salt in the Snow: A Somali Immigrant Story," which chronicles her familys journey and personal experiences as an immigrant.
Noor, who arrived in the United States in the 1990s alongside Omar and other relatives, has reportedly been subpoenaed in connection with a federal immigration investigation into her sister. Her LinkedIn profile lists her as residing in Nairobi, Kenya, though she has been traveling internationally to promote the memoir.
Fox News Digital attempted to obtain comment from Noor but received no response prior to publication. The silence from Noors camp comes as questions mount over the timing of her absence and the growing legal cloud surrounding her sister.
A promotional flyer posted on Facebook by Rochester-based Garden Party Books advertised the event for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Intercultural Student Center on the University of Minnesota Rochester campus. The flyer indicated that attendees could RSVP via a QR code, suggesting an organized and confirmed appearance.
When Fox News Digital arrived at the venue at the scheduled time, the space was entirely vacant, with no signage or staff indicating a change of plans. Despite having RSVPd through the provided QR code, Fox News Digital received no notice that the event had been canceled, postponed, or moved to another location.
Garden Party Books later informed Fox News Digital that the appearance had been called off due to a Noor "family emergency." No further details were provided, leaving observers to speculate whether the cancellation was related to the widening federal probe into Omars past.
Noors no-show comes as rumors swirl that Omar may have left the United States following a dramatic federal raid on her Minneapolis home earlier in the week. The congresswoman has not appeared in public since the Monday morning operation, and her husband reacted angrily when asked outside the residence on Wednesday whether he had any comment on speculation that she had fled the country.
The event flyer stated that Garden Party Books, the University of Minnesota Bookstores, and the Rochester Public Library were "proud supporters" of Noors appearance. It described Noor as a "poet, storyteller and health system leader," and characterized her memoir as a "story of migration, motherhood, grief and family."
Noors website notes that "Salt in the Snow: A Somali Immigrant Story" was officially launched at a Nairobi bookstore event on Aug. 13, 2026. She subsequently appeared in early September at a literary festival in Cape Town, South Africa, as part of her international promotional efforts.
She has since shifted her tour to the United States, with an Oct. 1 event in Minneapolis, followed by another appearance five days later at the University of Minnesota. Noor also hosted a gathering in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Oct. 7, and is next scheduled to appear at the Somali Community Cultural Innovation Hub in Seattle on Oct. 23.
Meanwhile, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the primary investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), executed a search warrant at Omars home at approximately 6:00 a.m. Monday. The early-morning raid underscored the seriousness of the inquiry, which has now expanded beyond routine administrative review.
Fox News Digital first reported that the operation is tied to an investigation into whether Omar or her late father, Nur Mohamed, "fraudulently filled out her citizenship paperwork decades ago." According to two sources familiar with the matter, the probe is significant enough that it "could lead to the congresswoman's denaturalization."
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that agents seized Omars phone, passport and computers during the search, suggesting investigators are combing through extensive personal and official records. Such measures, typically reserved for serious allegations, raise the stakes for a sitting member of Congress who has long positioned herself as a progressive icon on immigration and refugee issues.
Omar has denounced the raid in stark political terms, labeling the search an "outrageous abuse of power" and an "unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement to target political enemies." Her response fits a familiar pattern among left-wing figures who, when confronted with potential legal or ethical violations, often portray legitimate oversight as partisan persecution rather than address the underlying allegations.
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