White House border czar Tom Homan has said Rep. Ilhan Omar could lose her U.S. citizenship and potentially face deportation if a federal investigation establishes that she committed immigration fraud.
Speaking to Fox News, Homan said investigators had developed what he described as a “strong case” against the Somali-born Democratic congresswoman, whose Washington, D.C., residence was searched by federal agents last week.
When asked whether the inquiry could ultimately lead to Omar being denaturalized and removed from the United States, Homan said that possibility could not be ruled out.
“Of course,” he replied, arguing that people who provide false information during the naturalization process can be subjected to a legal proceeding that revokes their citizenship.
Homan acknowledged that denaturalization cases are lengthy and complex, but said the government has successfully pursued them in the past.
“I’ve been involved with those investigations before, and certainly if the evidence points that way, yes, it could happen,” he said.
His comments came as former President Barack Obama delivered an unusually forceful defense of Omar, accusing the Trump administration of using federal power against one of the president’s most outspoken political opponents.
The dispute intensified after the FBI searched Omar’s Washington home last Monday and seized her cellphone. The raid was reportedly connected to an investigation into allegations surrounding immigration documents involving her family.
White House border czar Tom Homan said Ilhan Omar could face denaturalization and deportation if investigators establish immigration fraud, claiming federal authorities have a “strong case”
Federal agents searched Ilhan Omar’s Washington residence last Monday as part of a criminal fraud investigation into allegations concerning how the congresswoman entered the United States
Barack Obama criticized Trump after the raid, describing the investigation as appalling in a lengthy post on X
Omar, 44, has not been charged and strongly rejects the allegations. She has characterized the investigation as a politically driven campaign intended to target her.
Homan, however, indicated that investigators believed the information gathered so far was significant.
“I’ve been told we have a strong case,” he told Fox News on Saturday. He added that officials would follow the evidence and said Omar would be held to the same legal standard as anyone else. “If she violated law then she’d be held accountable,” he said.
Homan also framed the immigration fraud inquiry as part of a broader effort to discourage violations of U.S. immigration law.
“Deterrence is a part of what this administration is doing,” he said, citing reviews of refugee cases and the pursuit of denaturalization proceedings as examples.
Pressed on whether Omar might be under investigation for offenses beyond the immigration allegations, Homan declined to provide further details.
“I won’t go there,” he responded.
The remarks add to the tension surrounding the politically sensitive investigation, which has drawn fierce criticism from Democrats and prompted Obama to make a rare public intervention in Omar’s defense.
Former President Barack Obama made an uncommon public defense of Ilhan Omar, accusing the Trump administration of weaponizing federal authorities to intimidate her
Trump has long had a bitter feud with Omar, one of his fiercest critics in Congress, repeatedly attacking the Somali-born Democrat over her political views and immigration background
The former president took to X on Sunday to condemn the investigation, accusing Trump of attempting to intimidate an elected official for exercising her right to criticize the White House.
‘It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say,’ Obama wrote.
‘But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.’
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Obama argued that the investigation appeared to hinge on a disputed question about Omar’s age when her father became a naturalized American citizen.
According to the former president, Omar arrived in the United States aged 12 and automatically acquired citizenship five years later when her father was naturalized.
He claimed investigators were pursuing a theory that she had actually been 18 at the time, potentially undermining her citizenship status.
‘Think about that. The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president,’ Obama wrote.
‘The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views.’
His intervention came after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin revealed that multiple court-authorized search warrants had been executed on the same day as the raid on Omar’s residence.
Speaking on The Charlie Kirk Show, Mullin insisted the investigation was supported by substantial evidence and rejected accusations that Trump had ordered a political crackdown.
‘We had a judge sign it, and we expect to be able to take the case to a grand jury,’ Mullin said.
‘We wouldn’t move forward, and President Trump didn’t want to move forward either, unless we knew that it couldn’t be politically driven.’
Mullin also raised the possibility that investigators could examine potential offenses under federal racketeering laws if evidence emerged of a coordinated scheme to deceive immigration authorities.
He described a hypothetical situation involving fraudulent paperwork used to bring other people into the country.
‘Then that can be considered a RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations] case, right?’ he said.
However, no such charges have been brought against Omar, and officials have not publicly disclosed evidence establishing that she committed immigration fraud.
The investigation has revived longstanding allegations circulated by conservative critics that Omar married her brother to facilitate his immigration to the United States.
The congresswoman has repeatedly rejected those claims as ‘absurd and offensive.’
Her legal team has now demanded the immediate return of property seized during the search, accusing the Justice Department of conducting an unlawful and politically motivated investigation.
Omar’s attorneys insisted there was ‘no legitimate basis for any suggestion that she has violated any law concerning her citizenship status.’
HSI agents are pictured at the entrance of Omar’s home last Monday
Homeland Security officers carry boxes from the Washington residence of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. last Monday during a search of her home
They also accused federal authorities of disregarding longstanding Justice Department practices intended to prevent investigative actions from influencing elections.
‘This vindictive, retributive, and politically motivated criminal investigation into one of the President’s chief congressional critics violates Representative Omar’s constitutional rights and threatens the separation of powers,’ they wrote.
Justice Department spokesperson Emily Covington rejected the accusations, describing the lawyers’ letter as ‘riddled with false allegations and inaccuracies.’
‘Our attorneys and law enforcement partners complied with all court orders and legal obligations, as they always do,’ she said.
Trump previously denied having any involvement in the investigation, telling reporters following the search: ‘I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ.’
