51 minutes ago
Federal agents searched Omar's Washington, DC, residence on Monday morning while she and her husband, Tim Mynett, were at home. Investigators seized her cellphone, notebooks, personal computers and passport.
Omar has dismissed the allegations, with her office accusing President Donald Trump of targeting the congresswoman because of her political views. (Photo: Reuters)
US federal investigators are examining whether Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar obtained American citizenship through alleged misrepresentation, with new details emerging about a search of her Washington home and the seizure of her personal belongings. The investigation could have serious consequences for the Minnesota lawmaker, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Federal agents searched Omar's Washington, DC, residence on Monday morning while she and her husband, Tim Mynett, were at home, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Investigators seized her cellphone, notebooks, personal computers and passport, according to the report.
The search is part of a federal investigation into potential immigration fraud. The WSJ, citing US officials and others familiar with the case, reported that the Trump administration ultimately aims to revoke Omar's American citizenship and deport her.
The Minnesota US Attorney's Office is leading the immigration-related investigation, while the office of US Attorney Jeanine Pirro in Washington is separately examining the finances of Omar and her husband, The New York Post reported.
Omar has dismissed the allegations, with her office accusing President Donald Trump of targeting the congresswoman because of her political views.
"President Trump would love to eliminate one of the most effective progressive voices in Congress. There is no basis for this," her office said in a statement to The Journal on Wednesday.
WHY IS THE TRUMP ADMIN INVESTIGATING OMAR?
The immigration investigation centres on whether Omar improperly obtained US citizenship through her father, Nur Omar Mohamed, by misrepresenting her age.
Omar has said she became an American citizen in 2000 through her father's naturalisation. Under the rules governing citizenship for certain children of naturalised citizens, eligibility can depend on whether the individual is still a minor when the relevant conditions are met.
The investigation is examining whether Omar was old enough to qualify for that benefit at the time. Records cited in reports give two possible birth years for the congresswoman: 1981 and 1982. Both list her birthday as October 4.
If Omar was born in 1981, she would have been 19 when her father became a US citizen in 2000. That would raise questions about whether she qualified for citizenship through his naturalisation as a minor. If she was born in 1982, she would have been 17 at the time.
However, the discrepancy alone does not establish that Omar committed immigration fraud. Investigators would need evidence to determine whether she misrepresented her age or knowingly concealed information relevant to her citizenship.
The Journal reported on Thursday that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officials had received information about the alleged discrepancy during the Biden administration. Officials decided against pursuing the matter at the time because of insufficient evidence.
HOW THE CASE COULD LEAD TO DEPORTATION
US law allows the government to seek the revocation of citizenship obtained through illegal means, including deliberate misrepresentation or the concealment of material facts during the naturalisation process. This process, known as denaturalisation, is different from deportation. Denaturalisation seeks to remove a person's citizenship, while deportation involves removing a non-citizen from the United States under immigration law.
If the government successfully establishes that Omar's citizenship was unlawfully obtained, it could seek to strip her of that status. Any subsequent deportation would depend on the applicable immigration laws and legal proceedings.
The distinction is important because allegations of wrongdoing do not automatically invalidate citizenship. The government must establish the legal grounds for denaturalisation, and the individual concerned can contest the case in court.
The Trump administration has recently moved to pursue denaturalisation against 40 American citizens accused of offences ranging from tax fraud and child sexual abuse material offences to spying for China. Naturalisation fraud offences generally carry a 10-year statute of limitations, while civil denaturalisation proceedings are not subject to the same time limit.
QUESTIONS OVER OMAR'S BIRTH YEAR
Questions about Omar's date of birth have surfaced publicly before.
The New York Post reported that, in the spring of 2019, shortly after Omar was first elected to the US House of Representatives, her staff contacted the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress and Wikipedia to request that her birth year be recorded as 1982 rather than 1981.
Earlier, in the autumn of 2018, Omar's campaign had told The Associated Press that she did not have a birth certificate because her family had been displaced by Somalia's long-running civil war.
WHO IS ILHAN OMAR?
Omar, a Democrat representing Minnesota in the US House of Representatives, is one of the most prominent progressive lawmakers in Congress. She is also a member of the group of left-wing Democratic representatives commonly known as the “Squad”.
Born in Somalia, Omar's family fled the country during its civil war in the early 1990s and spent time in Kenya before arriving in the United States in 1995. She has said she was 12 when she came to America as a refugee. Her father died from complications related to COVID-19 in 2020.
Omar has frequently clashed with Trump and his allies over immigration, foreign policy and other issues. The investigation into her citizenship has therefore drawn attention beyond the legal questions, given the wider political conflict between the president and his progressive opponents.
Trump said on Monday that he had "nothing to do" with the investigation. He nevertheless attacked Omar, calling her a "totally crooked" politician and "a terrible person".
"Just a complainer," he told reporters. "She comes from a country that is a non-country. And then she comes over here, and she complains about our Constitution."
- Ends
