<p>The Trump administration is conducting a criminal investigation into Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) with the aim of potentially stripping her of U.S. citizenship and deporting her, according to a report.</p>
<p>Omar has been under investigation for several months. In January, President Donald Trump stated that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is looking into discrepancies in Omar's financial records. Vice President JD Vance later indicated that the DOJ is also examining allegations that Omar was involved in a sham marriage with her biological brother to facilitate his residency in the United States.</p>
<p>On Monday, federal investigators executed a search warrant at Omar’s home, seizing her cellphone, notebooks, personal computers, and passport as part of an unspecified investigation. The Wall Street Journal reported that the investigation is focused on how Omar obtained her citizenship in 2000 after arriving in the U.S. from Somalia.</p>
<p>Officials are investigating whether Omar or her father altered her age on her citizenship application to indicate she was 17 instead of 18. If she was indeed 17 at the time of her father's application, she would have qualified for automatic citizenship.</p>
<p>Authorities have issued over a dozen subpoenas, including to some of Omar's relatives, and are reviewing her family's immigration documentation. Subpoenas have reportedly been sent to Omar's sister, Sahra Noor, and at least one other family member, according to the New York Times.</p>
<p>Omar has stated that she became a citizen at the age of 17 through her father's naturalization. However, AJ Kern, Omar's opponent in the 2022 congressional primary, obtained documents from a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer in 2023 indicating that there is “no record” of her father being naturalized as a U.S. citizen, as reported by the New York Post.</p>
<p>This week, Omar characterized the investigations as a smear campaign initiated by the Trump administration. She stated, “Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation.”</p>
<p>The investigations have also attracted criticism from progressive groups. The Democracy Defenders Fund filed a Hatch Act complaint, arguing that the timing of the raid on Omar's home is concerning, as it occurred shortly before early voting began in her Minnesota reelection campaign.</p>
<p>Norm Eisen, executive chairman and co-founder of the Democracy Defenders Fund, stated in a letter, “DOJ and DHS’s decision to instigate this raid at this very moment and for these alleged reasons is unexplainable — except for as a politically motivated use of power to influence the Minnesota congressional election in violation of the Hatch Act. A review of this matter is therefore immediately necessary.”</p>
<p>The Washington Examiner has reached out to the DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security for comments.</p>