Former President Barack Obama defended Rep. Ilhan Omar’s citizenship and criticized the search of her Washington, D.C., home, arguing that the Trump administration was trying to build a case around allegations dating back two decades.
In a social media post shared Sunday (October 18), Obama accused the administration of targeting Omar because of her criticism of President Donald Trump.
He warned that pursuing elected officials over their political views could set a precedent for future administrations to target their own opponents.
Obama said Omar arrived in the United States with her father when she was 12 and was 17 when he became a naturalized citizen.
Because she was a minor, she automatically became a citizen through him, Obama wrote. Investigators are examining allegations that Omar was actually 18 at the time and therefore would have needed to apply for citizenship separately.
“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.
Federal agents searched Omar’s home on October 12, and seized personal records and her phone. Omar, who became a U.S. citizen in 2000, has denied committing immigration fraud. Following the search, she accused the administration of political intimidation and vowed, “I will not be silenced.”
On Friday (October 16), Omar’s attorneys accused federal authorities of violating a judge’s restrictions during the October 12 search of her Washington, D.C., home, The Washington Post reported.
They alleged investigators failed to notify Omar’s lawyers and congressional representatives as required and demanded the return of seized property. The Justice Department denied violating court orders.
Obama argued that the investigation has forced Omar to accumulate legal bills and spend time defending herself instead of serving her constituents. He urged Americans to oppose the use of government power to intimidate elected officials regardless of their views on Omar.
“Because if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same,” he wrote.
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