A federal investigation into US Representative Ilhan Omar has expanded to examine immigration records dating back decades, raising the possibility that authorities could seek to revoke her American citizenship and pursue deportation, according to people familiar with the matter.
The investigation followed a pre-dawn search of Omar’s Washington home by federal agents. Investigators are examining whether Omar or members of her family provided false information when they arrived in the United States as refugees in the 1990s or during the process of obtaining citizenship.
Omar, a Democrat representing a Minnesota district since 2019, has rejected allegations of wrongdoing and described the search as an attempt at political intimidation.
Search Warrant Points to Immigration Fraud Allegations
The warrant authorising the search identified potential offences including conspiracy, false statements on immigration documents and immigration fraud, according to a person familiar with the investigation.
Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations, a division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, seized Omar’s personal mobile phone during the operation, two people familiar with the matter said.
Prosecutors have also issued more than a dozen subpoenas, including at least one directed to a relative of the congresswoman. One source said Omar’s sister voluntarily spoke with federal agents.
The evidence presented to the magistrate judge who approved the search has not been made public. A group of 14 news organisations has asked a federal judge to unseal records connected to the operation.
The Department of Justice declined to discuss the specific investigation. However, a department spokesperson said American citizenship must be acquired lawfully and honestly, adding that the administration would pursue denaturalisation where the facts justify such action.
Citizenship Revocation Would Be an Unusual Move
The prospect of stripping Omar of her citizenship has drawn attention because denaturalisation cases have historically been uncommon, particularly those involving search warrants.
Former immigration officials have noted that such proceedings have generally focused on serious offences, including grave human rights violations and crimes committed by individuals seeking to conceal their past.
Under US law, naturalised citizens can lose their citizenship if a court determines that it was obtained unlawfully or through the deliberate concealment or misrepresentation of important information.
One person familiar with the investigation said authorities could ultimately consider seeking to revoke Omar’s citizenship and deport her. President Donald Trump and his administration have previously raised those possibilities.
The Justice Department has filed at least 164 denaturalisation cases during Trump’s second term, a significant increase against historical levels. Between 1990 and 2017, an average of just 11 such cases were initiated annually, according to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
Timing Raises Questions About Political Pressure
The investigation has intensified concerns about the use of federal law enforcement against political opponents, particularly as Omar prepares to defend her congressional seat in an election scheduled in three weeks.
The timing is also notable because the Justice Department has traditionally avoided investigative actions involving political figures that could become public within 60 days of an election, especially when evidence can be gathered later.
Omar’s position as a sitting member of Congress adds another layer of legal complexity. The US Constitution protects certain legislative activities from executive scrutiny, and courts have ruled that federal investigators cannot examine materials connected to those protected duties.
According to people familiar with the case, US Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh ordered safeguards before approving the search to prevent investigators from reviewing protected congressional records.
However, one source said prosecutors had not yet informed Omar’s legal team about the procedures intended to protect those materials, despite the warrant requiring such notification.
Omar’s Journey to America Under Scrutiny
Omar arrived in the United States with her family in 1995, aged 12, after fleeing Somalia’s civil war and spending years in a refugee camp in Kenya. She became a naturalised American citizen in 2000.
Her background has remained a prominent feature of her political identity and a recurring target of criticism from conservative opponents.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Omar over her Somali heritage, Muslim faith and ties to Minnesota’s Somali community. Asked earlier this year whether she should lose her citizenship, he responded unequivocally in favour of the idea.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also suggested last month that Omar’s family might have engaged in unlawful activity during their entry into the United States, raising the prospect of deportation.
Omar has consistently denied wrongdoing, while the administration’s latest investigation places her immigration history under renewed scrutiny.
Whether the inquiry produces evidence sufficient to support criminal charges or a denaturalisation case remains unclear. For now, the search, subpoenas and examination of decades-old records have turned a politically charged dispute into a consequential federal investigation.
