Somali-born US congresswoman Ilhan Omar is facing a fraud investigation that could cost her American citizenship, 31 years after she arrived in the US as a refugee fleeing Somalia’s civil war.
- Ilhan Omar, a Somali-born US congresswoman, is under federal investigation for alleged immigration fraud related to how she obtained US citizenship.
- Federal agents searched Omar's Washington home, seized her mobile phone, and issued grand jury subpoenas to her relatives; this occurred just weeks before congressional elections.
- Omar has strongly denied all allegations, claiming the investigation is a politically-motivated attempt by the Trump administration to intimidate opponents.
- Omar, who arrived in the US as a Somali refugee, made history as the first Somali American and African refugee in Congress, and her political activism has often brought her into conflict with Trump’s administration.
The case has drawn attention to Omar's African roots and political career, having spent four years at Utange Refugee Camp near Mombasa, Kenya, after fleeing Somalia's civil war, before relocating to the United States in 1995 and becoming the first African refugee elected to Congress in 2018.
According to the Associated Press, federal investigators searched Omar's Washington, DC, home on October 12, 2026, seizing her mobile phone, passport, computers and notebooks.
Authorities also issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to some of her relatives.
The Wall Street Journal reported on October 15 that the Trump administration was seeking evidence that could support proceedings to revoke her citizenship and potentially deport her.
Omar, however, denied wrongdoing and accused the Trump administration of using federal law enforcement to target political opponents in a post on X on October 12, 2026.
"Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. 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. I will not be silenced," she wrote.
President Trump, meanwhile, denied directing the search of Omar's home, telling reporters he had "nothing to do" with the operation and that the matter was up to the Justice Department.
What investigators are examining
According to The Washington Post, investigators are examining allegations that Omar or her late father, Nur Omar Mohamed, misrepresented her date of birth in immigration documents.
The inquiry concerns discrepancies in records listing her birth year as either 1981 or 1982, which could affect whether she qualified for American citizenship through her father's naturalisation while legally considered a minor.
Authorities are also examining whether her father accurately disclosed details of his previous military service when applying for legal status in the United States.
A previous review of similar allegations by the Department of Homeland Security during Joe Biden's administration reportedly did not produce sufficient grounds to pursue a case.
Separately, the Associated Press reported that Washington's US attorney, Jeanine Pirro, confirmed an investigation into Omar's financial disclosures.
"There are several investigations going on," Pirro said during a Fox News interview on October 13.
"If there was a crime that was committed, it will be prosecuted," she added.
From Somalia's civil war to the US Congress
Omar and her family fled Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of President Mohamed Siad Barre's government, as political repression, clan divisions and armed conflict displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
Under President Daniel arap Moi, neighbouring Kenya became a major destination for Somali refugees, with UNHCR estimates showing that more than 300,000 had entered the country by mid-1992.
After several years in a Kenyan refugee camp, Omar's family relocated to the United States and settled in Minnesota, home to one of the largest Somali communities outside Africa.
Omar obtained US citizenship in 2000 following her father's naturalisation and entered politics in 2016 after winning a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
In 2018, she became the first Somali American and first African refugee elected to the US Congress, representing Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis.
She has since clashed with Trump over immigration, refugee protections, racial discrimination and US foreign policy.
The latest investigation raises the possibility of citizenship revocation and eventual deportation, although no court has established that Omar obtained American citizenship fraudulently.