Trump says Rep. Ilhan Omar could go to jail, not only face deportation

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar could go to jail, not only be deported, over a federal immigration investigation into questions about her age, according to Anadolu Agency.

Asked in the Oval Office whether Omar could be deported if there was a problem with her age, Trump said: "Well, she could be. She could also go to jail." He added: "They keep talking about deportation. No, she could go to jail. This is just my opinion."

Al Jazeera reported that Trump also called Omar "sick" and "dishonest". It said he described Somalia, her birthplace, with an expletive, rendered by the broadcaster as a "s---house". Al Jazeera said Trump claimed Omar, who is a US citizen, could be deported. The remarks came about a week after federal agents searched her home, according to Al Jazeera, which said the home is in Washington, DC.

The investigation

Federal agents searched Omar's house earlier this month as part of an immigration fraud investigation, Anadolu reported. The probe concerns possible false statements on government documents and a potential conspiracy. Anadolu said Homeland Security agents took her phone, laptops, notebooks and passport.

Investigators are examining whether Omar or her late father lied about her age when she obtained citizenship in 2000, according to Anadolu. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is seeking to revoke her citizenship and eventually deport her. Anadolu cited that report. Zenga News has not independently confirmed it.

Omar's response

Omar has denied the accusations. She says she came to the United States at the age of 12, in 1995, and became a citizen at 17, according to Anadolu.

She responded on X, where she wrote:

"Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement." — Ilhan Omar, US representative

She also wrote that the case was "just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation," Anadolu reported.

What is unconfirmed

The sources do not say that Omar has been charged with a crime. They do not say whether any court has ruled on her citizenship or whether the government has started formal proceedings to revoke it. Trump described his comments on possible jail time as "just my opinion". The Wall Street Journal's account of the administration's aims was relayed by Anadolu and was not described in the sources as an official announcement.

The sources do not include a response from the White House or the Department of Homeland Security to Omar's statement. The material also contains no comment from Omar on Trump's latest remarks.

Background

Omar has served in the US House of Representatives since 2019. She is the first Somali American member of Congress, according to Anadolu. Her birthplace in Somalia has been central to Trump's comments about possible deportation, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Under the investigation as described by Anadolu, the central question is her age when she gained citizenship in 2000. Omar says she was 17 at the time. The probe also covers her late father, who investigators are examining along with her.