The Trump administration is investigating Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota in a probe that could seek to challenge her US citizenship and potentially pave the way for her deportation, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, raising fresh concerns over the use of federal law enforcement against a prominent political critic.

Citing US officials and other people familiar with the investigation, the newspaper reported that the inquiry is examining how Omar obtained US citizenship after arriving from Somalia as a refugee decades ago. Investigators are also scrutinising the actions of her late father, according to people familiar with the probe.

Omar’s father, Nur Omar Mohamed, brought her and other family members to the United States from a refugee camp in Kenya in 1995.

The investigation has intensified scrutiny of President Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on the congresswoman and his administration’s broader campaign against immigration. No public evidence establishing wrongdoing by Omar has been presented, and authorities have not announced criminal charges against her in connection with the inquiry.

Trump intensifies attacks on Muslim congresswoman

Trump has repeatedly called for Omar to be deported, making her a prominent target of his anti-immigration rhetoric and attacks on political opponents.

During an appearance in Ohio on Monday evening, members of the audience chanted “deport” after Trump mentioned Omar and members of the Somali community. He subsequently accused them of widespread dishonesty, saying, “They cheat on everything,” and declaring that his administration would not tolerate it.

The remarks have renewed concerns that Trump's rhetoric is encouraging hostility towards Somali Americans and Muslims more broadly by associating an entire community with alleged wrongdoing.

Omar, who arrived in the United States as a child and became a naturalised citizen, has frequently criticised Trump's immigration policies. She was first elected to Congress in 2018 and represents a Minnesota district with a large Somali-American population.

The administration's investigation comes amid an intensified effort to revoke the citizenship of naturalised Americans suspected of providing false information during the naturalisation process. The Wall Street Journal reported that officials have pursued dozens of legal cases as part of the campaign.

If authorities seek to strip Omar of her citizenship, the case could become one of the most politically contentious examples of the initiative, given her national profile and the president's repeated demands that she leave the country.

Under US law, citizenship revocation through denaturalisation requires legal grounds and judicial proceedings; it is not a power the president can exercise simply because he disagrees with a citizen's political views. Any attempt to revoke Omar's citizenship would therefore have to meet the applicable legal standards.

Phone seized as investigators issue subpoenas

Separately, federal investigators have seized Omar's phone and issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, some reportedly directed at her relatives, according to The Guardian, which cited a person briefed on the investigation.

The reported inquiry has also involved a search of Omar's Washington, DC, residence. Authorities have not publicly detailed the full scope of the investigation or disclosed evidence establishing that the congresswoman committed a crime.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has said investigators are examining possible violations involving immigration documents connected to Omar's family.

Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, confirmed that several investigations involving Omar were underway. Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, Pirro said her office was also reviewing matters related to the congresswoman's financial disclosures.

“If there was a crime that was committed, it will be prosecuted,” Pirro said.

However, the existence of an investigation does not establish criminal wrongdoing, and allegations must be substantiated through evidence and due process.

Omar denounces political intimidation

Omar condemned the search of her residence, accusing the Trump administration of using federal law enforcement to target political opponents.

“For 10 years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation,” she said in a statement posted on X. “I will not be silenced.”

The investigation has also prompted criticism from Democrats, who have questioned the timing of the operation so close to the November midterm elections, when control of both chambers of Congress will be at stake.

The timing has intensified concerns about whether the administration is using its law-enforcement powers in ways that could intimidate political opponents or influence the electoral environment. Those concerns, however, do not by themselves establish that the investigation is politically motivated.

The Justice Department has traditionally sought to avoid certain public investigative actions involving election candidates during the period immediately preceding an election, although such practices do not amount to a blanket prohibition on investigations.

Citizenship probe deepens political confrontation

Omar, 44, has become one of Trump's most prominent critics, particularly over immigration enforcement and other policies pursued by his administration. As a member of the progressive Democratic group known as “The Squad,” she has frequently challenged the president's political agenda.

Trump has repeatedly singled her out, turning the congresswoman into a central figure in his attacks on progressive Democrats and immigrant communities.

The latest investigation raises broader questions about the security of citizenship for naturalised Americans and the potential consequences when a president repeatedly targets a political opponent on the basis of her immigrant background.

Citizenship is a legal status protected by US law, and naturalised citizens are entitled to legal protections regardless of their political beliefs or criticism of the government. Any effort to revoke that status must rest on legally sufficient evidence rather than political hostility.

With the midterm elections approaching, the investigation is likely to intensify the debate over immigration, presidential power and the independence of federal law enforcement. Until authorities disclose evidence and establish a legal basis for further action, the allegations against Omar remain unproven. (ILKHA)