Trump official says Omar could be stripped of citizenship
The Trump administration’s border czar said the government could denaturalize and deport Representative Ilhan Omar after agents searched her home for alleged immigration violations.
Key points
- Tom Homan, DHS border czar, said Omar could be stripped of citizenship and deported.
- Agents searched Omar’s Washington, DC, home on Oct. 12 as part of a renewed inquiry into her immigration records.
- The investigation focuses on possible violations in documents submitted when Omar and her family entered the U.S. as Somali refugees.
- Omar denies wrongdoing and the probe was launched weeks before the November midterm elections.
- Barack Obama criticized the investigation as political intimidation.
Tom Homan, the Trump administration’s “border czar,” stated on Saturday that the government could “of course” strip Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of her citizenship and deport her. Homan’s remarks, made during a Fox News appearance, were the first explicit comments from a top administration official regarding denaturalization and deportation in connection with Omar since federal agents raided her home on October 12.
Federal agents executed a search warrant at Omar’s Washington, DC, home as part of a renewed inquiry into her immigration records. The investigation focuses on whether Omar or her family violated laws when obtaining her citizenship. Officials allege that documents submitted after Omar and her family arrived in the United States as Somali refugees decades ago may contain violations.
The search of the Minnesota congresswoman’s residence sparked significant backlash, with critics accusing the administration of weaponizing the federal government to target a political rival. Barack Obama criticized the investigation as political intimidation. Omar has denied wrongdoing. The probe was launched weeks before the November midterm elections, in which Omar is on the ballot.
Homan told the Fox News host that if an individual lies during the naturalization process, there is a legal process to denaturalize them. “We’ve done it before. It’s a long, tedious process, but…,” he said. The Department of Homeland Security had previously declined to move forward with an investigation based on similar allegations years ago.
Your questions, answered
What did Tom Homan say about Ilhan Omar's citizenship?
He said the government could denaturalize and deport her if she lied during the naturalization process.
Why were agents searching Omar's home?
They were looking for evidence of violations in immigration documents submitted when she and her family entered the U.S. as refugees.
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