US Probes Rep. Ilhan Omar's Citizenship, Deportation Possible

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Representative Ilhan Omar with the aim of revoking her citizenship and deporting her from the United States, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The federal probe centers on allegations that Omar or her late father, Nur Omar Mohamed, provided false information about her age during her naturalization process over 25 years ago. Specifically, investigators are examining whether her age was misrepresented as 17 instead of 18 on her citizenship application, which could have allowed her to automatically gain citizenship through her father without a separate immigration process.

Federal agents reportedly searched Omar's home in Washington D.C. on Monday, seizing electronic devices, notebooks, and her passport, just three weeks before the midterm elections in which she is seeking re-election. The Justice Department confirmed a court-authorized search by Homeland Security Investigations but declined to provide further details. Simultaneously, authorities have issued subpoenas for over a dozen witnesses, including some of Omar's relatives, to testify before a grand jury in Minnesota.

U.S. law requires the Justice Department to file a lawsuit in federal court to revoke citizenship, proving that the individual provided materially false information to obtain it. Leon Fresco, a former senior immigration official, explained that the success of such a case hinges on proving Omar herself knowingly lied about her age, not just that her father did. This investigation is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to revoke the citizenship of naturalized Americans, with over 200 such cases filed compared to a dozen or fewer annually before Trump's presidency.

Omar, a Somali-American and one of the most vocal critics of Israel in Congress, has been a frequent target of President Donald Trump and Republicans. Trump has repeatedly called for her deportation. Omar has denied all allegations of immigration fraud, stating in an interview earlier this year that she has never committed such a crime. Her office released a statement calling the investigation baseless and suggesting it was politically motivated by Trump.

In addition to the citizenship probe, Federal Prosecutor Jenine Pirro indicated that her office is also examining Omar's financial disclosures, with potential criminal charges if wrongdoing is found. Allegations of immigration fraud have followed Omar since her first run for public office in 2016, including claims that she married her brother to facilitate his immigration to the U.S., which she has consistently denied.