Ilhan Omar Investigation Aims to Build Case for Stripping Her CitizenshipIlhan Omar Investigation Aims to Build Case for Stripping Her Citizenship

Authorities have subpoenaed members of the Democratic congresswoman’s family as part of a broader look at their immigration paperwork

Representative Ilhan Omar speaking during a news conference.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) arrived in the U.S. from Somalia decades ago. Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg News
WASHINGTON—The Trump administration’s investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) is aimed at building a case to strip her of her U.S. citizenship and ultimately deport her, according to U.S. officials and other people familiar with the probe.

The multipronged effort is focused at least in part on how Omar obtained her citizenship after she arrived in the U.S. from Somalia decades ago. Investigators are focused both on the congresswoman and actions of her deceased father, some of the people familiar with the probe said. Nur Omar Mohamed brought his daughter and other family members to the U.S. from a refugee camp in Kenya in 1995.

The Trump administration is reportedly investigating whether Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar could face legal action that might ultimately result in the loss of her U.S. citizenship and possible deportation.
According to a report published by The Wall Street Journal on October 14, 2026, investigators are examining her family’s immigration history and whether information about her age was accurately recorded in documents submitted decades ago.

Federal agents reportedly searched Omar’s Washington, D.C., home on Monday, October 12. Investigators allegedly seized her cellphone, passport, computers and notebooks. Authorities have also issued more than a dozen subpoenas, including to some of her relatives, as part of the investigation.
The central question is whether Omar or her late father misrepresented her age during the immigration process.

Investigators are reportedly examining whether her age affected her eligibility to obtain U.S. citizenship through her father in 2000.

Omar has repeatedly denied allegations of immigration fraud. Her office has also rejected the investigation’s claims, describing the action as an attempt to target a prominent political opponent.

However, an investigation does not establish guilt. The government would have to meet the applicable legal requirements in court before Omar could be stripped of her citizenship.
The case is attracting significant attention because it involves a sitting member of Congress and comes just weeks before the November 2026 midterm elections.

For now, the investigation is ongoing, and no final legal decision has been announced stripping Omar of her citizenship.