The key facts
- Trump: Omar 'may go to prison', not just be deported
- The investigation concerns possible lies about her age when obtaining citizenship in 2000
- WSJ: the Trump administration is seeking to revoke citizenship and deport her; Omar denies the allegations
Trump's statement
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar may face not only deportation but also imprisonment over questions about her age as part of a federal immigration investigation. Answering in the Oval Office a question about whether Omar could be deported if a problem with her age is found, Trump said: 'Well, she may. She may also go to prison.' He added: 'They keep talking about deportation. No, she may go to prison. That's just my opinion.'
The search and subject of the investigation
Earlier this month, federal agents searched Omar's home as part of an investigation into alleged immigration fraud involving possible false statements in government documents and potential conspiracy. Department of Homeland Security agents seized her phone, laptops, notebooks and passport. Investigators are examining whether Omar or her late father lied about her age when obtaining citizenship in 2000. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration is seeking to revoke her citizenship and subsequently deport her.
Omar's position
Omar rejects the allegations and says she came to the US at age 12 in 1995 and received citizenship at 17. She condemned the search as politically motivated. 'Make no mistake: this is an attempt to attack political opponents and weaponize federal law enforcement,' she wrote on X, calling what happened 'yet another escalation in his campaign of political intimidation.' Omar is the first Somali-American member of the US Congress; she has served in the House of Representatives since 2019.
