Tampa Bay’s Kathy Castor was among 40 House Democrats who did not sign a letter condemning the early morning raid and ongoing investigation into Representative Ilhan Omar over alleged “immigration fraud.”
Sent on Oct. 26 and signed by 175 members of congress, the letter criticizes the Oct. 12 raid on the Minnesota Democrat’s Washington, D.C. home, and demands the Trump administration avoid further action that could impact the election.
“We write to express our unequivocal opposition to your raid of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s home,” reads the letter addressed to Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “We are profoundly alarmed by your weaponization of federal law enforcement against her and demand you refrain from taking any further actions that could affect the outcome of any upcoming election.”
According to The New York Times, the federal inquiry into Omar, who is up for reelection, is focused on whether her 2009 marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi was intended to help him obtain a green card, an accusation that was widely debunked during her first race for elected office in 2016.
It’s unclear exactly why Castor did not sign the letter, but she wasn’t the only Florida representative whose signature was absent. Florida District 9’s Darren Soto and District 23’s Jared Moskowitz also did not join the effort.
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay reached out to Castor for comment and will update this story if she responds.
Castor, who is currently running against Republican Michael Beltran in Congressional District 14, has a history of not aligning herself with the progressive wing of her party. Last September, Castor was only one of two Florida Democrats who joined Republicans in a bill condemning Democratic Socialism.
In WMNF radio a debate early this month, Castor re-affirmed her position on that vote.
“I reject socialism,” she said. “And you’re right. I crossed the aisle not too long ago to condemn it in all of its forms. Too many of our neighbors across the Tampa Bay area fled socialism and authoritarianism, and I’ve listened very closely to their stories.”
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This article appears in Oct. 29 – Nov. 04, 2026.
