Federal officials say investigators have assembled a strong case involving Rep. Ilhan Omar’s immigration history, with multiple search warrants and grand jury subpoenas issued as the Minnesota Democrat denies wrongdoing and accuses the administration of political retaliation.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
White House border czar Tom Homan said Saturday, Oct. 17, that federal investigators have developed a strong case involving Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and raised the possibility of revoking her naturalized U.S. citizenship if authorities establish that it was obtained through fraud.
His remarks came five days after Homeland Security Investigations agents searched Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence under a federal warrant as part of an investigation involving immigration documents submitted by her family decades ago.
Speaking on Fox News’ The Big Weekend Show, Homan said investigators had informed him that they possessed substantial evidence and emphasized that Omar would not receive special treatment because of her position in Congress.
According to The Hill’s coverage of the interview, Homan described the investigation as serious but did not disclose specific evidence supporting potential criminal charges.
The border czar also addressed whether the case could lead to denaturalization, the legal process through which the government may seek to revoke citizenship obtained through fraud or other qualifying violations.
“If you lie during the naturalization process, there is a process to denaturalize somebody,” Homan said, according to Mediaite.
Homan noted that federal authorities have previously pursued denaturalization proceedings. However, such action would require a separate legal process, and investigators have not publicly established grounds for revoking Omar’s citizenship.
The investigation concerns records associated with Omar’s arrival in the United States as a child. Sources familiar with the inquiry told CBS News that investigators are examining potential false statements and immigration fraud involving paperwork completed by her late father.
The documents reportedly date back decades, raising questions about the accuracy of information submitted during the family’s immigration process and whether any alleged misrepresentations could have affected subsequent citizenship applications.
No criminal charges have been announced against Omar, and the government has not publicly identified specific false statements it alleges she personally made.
The scope of the inquiry became clearer Friday when Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin discussed additional investigative activity during an interview with Andrew Kolvet on The Charlie Kirk Show.
Mullin confirmed that agents executed multiple search warrants on Oct. 12, rather than limiting their operation to Omar’s residence.
“She wasn’t – or it wasn’t the only place we served the warrant,” Mullin said. “There was multiple other warrants served on that same day.”
The secretary emphasized that judicial authorization had been obtained and that investigators anticipated presenting evidence to a grand jury.
“We had a judge sign it, and we expect to be able to take the case to a grand jury,” he said.
Mullin also defended the investigation against allegations that the administration was using federal law enforcement to target a political opponent.
“But I will tell you, 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. Now they want to try making it political driven. This individual wants to try making it about themselves. This was about enforcing once again our nation’s laws, and it’s a strong case.”
His comments were detailed in a CBS News report published Friday.
Mullin additionally discussed whether coordinated immigration fraud could potentially be prosecuted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly known as RICO.
He described a hypothetical arrangement in which an individual submits fraudulent immigration documents that subsequently enable other people to enter the country under the same alleged scheme.
Mullin did not say that prosecutors were pursuing racketeering charges against Omar or establish that his hypothetical scenario described her family.
Federal criminal racketeering cases are generally subject to a five-year statute of limitations, although older conduct may be relevant in certain prosecutions involving qualifying ongoing criminal activity.
Investigators have also sought information from Omar’s relatives.
According to CBS News’ reporting on the grand jury subpoenas, multiple family members received subpoenas shortly before agents searched the congresswoman’s home.
Sources also said federal agents seized Omar’s personal cellphone during the operation, a development that could become relevant to the investigation and to questions concerning congressional privilege.
The searches were conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the criminal investigative division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with assistance from the Justice Department.
Omar has rejected the allegations and maintains that the investigation is politically motivated.
“Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement,” she wrote in a statement on X following the search.
“For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation.”
Her office also described the search as politically motivated and disputed the suggestion that the government could lawfully revoke her citizenship.
A spokesperson said the administration’s effort to pursue denaturalization “has no basis in the law and has no precedent.”
Omar has maintained that she committed no immigration-related wrongdoing and has vowed to challenge the investigation.
The dispute has also prompted criticism from congressional Democrats, who have questioned the circumstances surrounding the search of a sitting member of Congress and the administration’s public discussion of an ongoing criminal investigation.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has denied directing the operation.
He told reporters he had “nothing to do with” the raid and said responsibility for the investigation rested with the Justice Department.
“I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ,” Trump said.
The possibility of denaturalization introduces additional legal questions because revoking citizenship requires the government to satisfy strict evidentiary standards. Citizenship cannot be terminated solely because a federal official believes an individual committed immigration fraud.
The government generally must establish a legally sufficient basis for revocation through appropriate judicial proceedings.
For now, the investigation remains active, and prosecutors have not announced whether they intend to seek criminal charges, pursue denaturalization or take other legal action.
Homan and Mullin have publicly expressed confidence in the case, while Omar continues to deny wrongdoing and challenge its legitimacy.
Any eventual charges would require prosecutors to establish the elements of the alleged offenses in court, where Omar would be entitled to the presumption of innocence and applicable constitutional protections.
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