Key facts
- Investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar's immigration paperwork may seek to revoke her citizenship and deport her.
- A sealed warrant for Monday's search listed conspiracy, false statements, and immigration fraud as potential crimes.
- Omar, a Somali-born naturalized US citizen since 2000, has been a target of President Trump's criticism.
- Denaturalization investigations are historically rare and usually involve serious crimes or human rights violations.
Federal agents conducted a predawn raid on the home of Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar as part of an expanding investigation into her US immigration paperwork, according to sources familiar with the case. The probe reportedly centers on whether Omar, who arrived in the US as a refugee in 1995 and became a naturalized citizen in 2000, or her relatives provided false information during the immigration process. A sealed warrant listed conspiracy, false statements, and immigration fraud as potential crimes being investigated. Sources suggested a possible aim of the investigation could be to revoke Omar's citizenship and deport her, a notion previously voiced by President Donald Trump. Omar has denied any wrongdoing, calling the raid "political intimidation." The Department of Homeland Security referred questions to the Justice Department, which declined to comment on the specific investigation but affirmed that US citizenship must be obtained lawfully. Former immigration officials noted that denaturalization investigations are rare and typically involve serious crimes or human rights violations, making the use of search warrants unusual.