US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar could face imprisonment, rather than just deportation, amid a federal investigation into questions about her age.
Asked at the Oval Office whether Omar could be deported if concerns about her age were substantiated, Trump said she could also face jail time.
‘You know, they keep talking about deportation. No, she could go to jail. This is just my opinion,’ he said.
Federal agents searched Omar’s home earlier this month as part of an immigration fraud investigation into possible false statements on government documents and an alleged conspiracy.
Department of Homeland Security agents seized her phone, laptops, notebooks and passport during the search.
Investigation into Omar’s age
Investigators are examining whether Omar or her late father misrepresented her age when she obtained US citizenship in 2000.
Omar has denied the allegations, saying she arrived in the United States in 1995 at the age of 12 and became a citizen at 17.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration was seeking to revoke her citizenship and eventually deport her.
Omar calls raid politically motivated
Omar condemned the search, describing it as politically motivated.
‘Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponise federal law enforcement,’ she wrote on X.
‘This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation.’
Omar, the first Somali American to serve in the US Congress, has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2019.
