U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who spent years in a refugee camp in Kenya before moving to America, is facing an investigation that could threaten her U.S. citizenship and raise the possibility of deportation.
Omar, who represents Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives, arrived in the United States in 1995 after fleeing civil war in Somalia with her family.
She was 12 at the time and later became a naturalised American citizen in 2000.
According to Reuters, federal agents searched Omar's Washington home on October 12 as part of an investigation into her family's immigration documents.
U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar at a past event.
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Conman Getty
Investigators are examining whether she or her relatives provided false information when entering the U.S. or during the citizenship process.
The search warrant reportedly listed conspiracy, false statements on immigration paperwork and immigration fraud among the potential offences under investigation.
Agents also seized Omar's personal phone, while prosecutors issued more than a dozen subpoenas, including to at least one of her relatives.
The investigation could lead authorities to seek the revocation of Omar's citizenship if evidence establishes that it was obtained unlawfully.
However, no finding of wrongdoing has been made, and Omar has denied the allegations.
On her part, Omar described the search as an act of political intimidation, accusing the President Donald Trump administration of targeting her.
The investigation comes as Trump intensifies his administration's crackdown on immigration, including efforts to remove people accused of violating immigration laws and review cases involving naturalised citizens.
In June this year, the U.S. increased the number of Kenyans identified for detention and deportation over alleged immigration violations from 15 to 45, marking a significant rise in the number of nationals facing removal proceedings in the country.
According to data published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the individuals were among a group of undocumented immigrants classified as priority cases for removal due to their criminal records.
US Department of Homeland Security officers.
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KTTC