Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has spoken out in a short video, declaring that she will not be intimidated as federal authorities investigate questions surrounding her citizenship.
The Minnesota Democrat posted the roughly one-minute message on social media Tuesday evening. She thanked supporters for their contributions and appealed for additional donations, saying she is facing a particularly “challenging time.”
“Hi everyone, Ilhan here,” she said from inside a moving vehicle. “I just wanted to say thank you so much for the support, for everyone who sent $5, $10, $20 — that goes a long way as we fight Trump and his administration for trying to intimidate me and so many people right before the midterm elections.”
Omar went on to claim that the administration was “running scared,” adding: “We’re not going to be intimidated. We’re not going to be silenced. We’re not going to be scared.”
She said she planned to campaign alongside her supporters and work to defeat what she described as the administration’s efforts, while seeking Democratic victories in both chambers of Congress. “We win the House, win the Senate and hold this administration accountable,” she said.
“Thank you so much again and please continue to support us,” Omar said at the end of the video. She warned that the months ahead would be “very expensive and challenging,” adding that every contribution — whether $5, $10 or $20 — would be appreciated.
Omar’s statement came as federal officials reportedly said they believe they have a “strong case” to revoke her citizenship and deport her to Somalia.
Ilhan Omar returned to social media Tuesday with a brief video insisting she would not be intimidated amid a federal investigation into her citizenship status. Source: @ilhanmn/TikTok.
Feds probe Omar’s citizenship application
Omar was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, to an affluent family. Her relatives settled in the suburbs of Washington, DC, before moving to Minnesota as she entered high school. She became a US citizen through her father in 2000.
Federal authorities are now examining whether her father, Nur Omar Mohamed, listed her age as 17 rather than 18 on citizenship paperwork.
The distinction could be significant. If Omar was 18 when her father became a naturalized citizen, she would have been treated as an adult and required to pursue her own immigration case. If she was still 17, she may have been eligible to receive citizenship automatically when her father’s application was approved.
As part of the inquiry, agents with Homeland Security Investigations were seen searching Omar’s Washington home on October 12.
Fox News reported that investigators seized her cellphone, passport and computer, and also obtained DNA evidence.
A source told The New York Post that the DNA could become important evidence in allegations that Omar married her brother to help him obtain a green card.
Several other sources have claimed that investigators now have a basis to pursue potential federal immigration-fraud charges against Omar.
Around a dozen people, including members of Omar’s family, have reportedly been subpoenaed. Her older sister, Sahra Noor, also voluntarily spoke with federal investigators, according to three sources cited by Fox News Digital.
The details of that interview remain unknown, including what questions Noor was asked and how long the discussion lasted. Like Omar, Noor fled Somalia’s civil war as a child. She now lives in Kenya but has been visiting the United States to promote her book, “Salt in the Snow: A Somali Immigrant Story.”
Homeland Security officers were seen searching the congresswoman’s Washington, DC, residence as part of an investigation into her immigration history.
Investigators reportedly took Omar’s cellphone, notebooks, computers and passport during the search.
Homan claims feds have ‘strong case’
Omar has not been charged with any crime and strongly denies wrongdoing, saying the investigation is a politically motivated witch hunt.
But Border Czar Tom Homan declared in an interview with Fox News that investigators had assembled a ‘strong case’ against the Somali-born lawmaker.
Asked directly whether the investigation could result in Omar being denaturalized and deported, Homan confirmed that such an outcome was possible.
‘Of course,’ he replied, explaining that if someone lied during the naturalization process, there was an established legal procedure for revoking their citizenship.
‘We’ve done it before, and it is a long, tedious process, but it’s been done before,’ Homan said.
‘I’ve been involved with those investigations before, and certainly if the evidence points that way, yes, it could happen.’
Homan suggested investigators were increasingly confident in the evidence they had uncovered.
‘I’ve been told we have a strong case,’ he told Fox News on Saturday. ‘We’ll let the evidence see where it leads. She’ll be held to the same standard you and I are held. If she violated law then she’d be held accountable.’
White House border czar Tom Homan warned that Omar could face denaturalization and deportation if investigators uncover immigration fraud, claiming the feds have a ‘strong case’
Homan says probe sends wider warning
The border czar also suggested that immigration fraud investigations were intended to send a wider warning about the consequences of breaking American immigration laws.
‘Deterrence is a part of what this administration is doing,’ he said, pointing to efforts to review refugee cases and pursue denaturalization proceedings.
But when pressed on whether federal authorities were investigating Omar for other possible offenses beyond immigration fraud, Homan refused to elaborate.
‘I won’t go there,’ he replied.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, however, has previously said that her office will be conducting a probe of the congresswoman’s financial disclosures.
Omar’s 2025 filing had listed assets of between $6 million and $30 million shared with her husband before she amended it to a far smaller range, blaming accounting errors.
The House’s own ethics watchdog had recommended dismissing allegations over the filings last month, a finding Omar’s office has pointed to in her defense.
@dailymail Former U.S. President Barack Obama has called the federal investigation into Congresswoman Ilhan Omar ‘appalling,’ accusing the Trump administration of targeting her for criticizing the president. ’The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president,’ Obama wrote on X. The investigation follows a search of Omar’s home in Washington, D.C., as authorities examine questions surrounding her immigration and citizenship records. Obama warned that targeting political critics could set a dangerous precedent for American democracy. #obama #ilhanomar #usa #trump #news ♬ original sound – Daily Mail
Omar launches legal fightback
She has also repeatedly rejected questions about her immigration status as ‘absurd and offensive.’
Her legal team has now demanded the immediate return of property seized during the search, accusing the Justice Department of conducting an unlawful and politically motivated investigation.
Omar’s attorneys insisted there was ‘no legitimate basis for any suggestion that she has violated any law concerning her citizenship status.’
They also accused federal authorities of disregarding longstanding Justice Department practices intended to prevent investigative actions from influencing elections.
‘This vindictive, retributive, and politically motivated criminal investigation into one of the President’s chief congressional critics violates Representative Omar’s constitutional rights and threatens the separation of powers,’ they wrote.
Justice Department spokesperson Emily Covington rejected the accusations, describing the lawyers’ letter as ‘riddled with false allegations and inaccuracies.’
‘Our attorneys and law enforcement partners complied with all court orders and legal obligations, as they always do,’ she said.
Trump previously denied having any involvement in the investigation, telling reporters following the search: ‘I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ.’
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