Trump administration reopened citizenship probe into Rep. Ilhan Omar: Report
Review in President Trump's first term found insufficient evidence of wrongdoing, Washington Post says, but renewed probe came into spotlight this week with search of Omar's house
The Trump administration has reopened an investigation into US Rep. Ilhan Omar’s citizenship, seven years after federal officials examined similar allegations and found insufficient evidence of wrongdoing, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Federal agents searched the Minnesota Democrat’s Washington, DC, home on Monday as part of a renewed inquiry into whether Omar or her late father provided false information on immigration paperwork, according to the report.
The current investigation focuses on documents submitted after Omar and her family arrived in the US as Somali refugees decades ago, including paperwork used to obtain legal status and eventual citizenship. Omar and her family were granted asylum when they came to the US in 1995, when she was 12 years old, and she became a citizen when she was 17.
During Trump’s first term, Homeland Security officials reviewed Omar’s immigration history after a political appointee sought evidence of possible fraud, the Post reported, citing former immigration officials.
Investigators examined her family’s refugee history, questions about her birthdate and her father's past military service in Somalia, along with longstanding allegations about her marriage.
The review concluded there was “insufficient evidence of wrongdoing,” one former official told the newspaper.
The renewed inquiry could lead to criminal charges or an attempt to challenge Omar’s citizenship if investigators obtain evidence of fraud, according to officials cited by the Post.
Omar’s team claims ‘abuse of power’
Omar, a frequent critic of Trump, rejected the investigation as an effort to “target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement.”
“Trump has spread lie after lie about the Congresswoman in a desperate attempt to justify his extraordinary abuse of power,” her spokesperson said Thursday.
“This is politically motivated and an escalation of Trump’s personal vendetta against her lasting over a decade,” the spokesperson added.
One former official familiar with the earlier review questioned the basis for reviving the case.
“I think her citizenship is solid and there wasn’t any fraud there,” the official told the Post.
Asked about Omar this week, Trump denied directing the investigation.
“I think she’s a terrible person,” he told reporters. “But that’s really up to the DOJ (Justice Department). I have nothing to do with it.”
Under standard policy, the Justice Department avoids taking any action that might be seen as influencing an election within 60 days of that election.
Omar is currently seeking reelection to Congress in the Nov. 3 election, which is less than three weeks away.
