Former President Barack Obama has publicly defended Rep. Ilhan Omar amid a federal investigation into her citizenship, accusing the Trump administration of targeting the Minnesota Democrat for political reasons.
Obama, 63, posted a lengthy statement Sunday on X after federal agents searched Omar’s Washington, D.C., home as part of a criminal probe into her immigration status. The former president warned that the administration is attempting to strip Omar, 42, of her U.S. Citizenship and deport her over her criticism of President Donald Trump.
“It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say,” Obama wrote on X. “But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.”
Sources previously said that investigators are examining whether Omar or her father committed fraud on immigration paperwork when she became a U.S. Citizen decades ago. The probe centers on an “unsubstantiated theory,” according to Obama, that Omar was actually 18 when her father was naturalized rather than 17, which would have required her to apply for citizenship separately.
Obama detailed Omar’s path to citizenship in his post, noting that she arrived in the United States with her father at age 12 and automatically became a citizen at 17 when her father was naturalized.
“To understand why this is so appalling, it’s important to know the facts,” Obama wrote.
He then delivered his sharpest condemnation of the administration’s actions.
“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.
Trump has denied any personal involvement in the investigation, previously telling reporters that the matter was up to the Justice Department.
“I’ve always found her to be totally crooked, personally, but that has nothing to do with me,” Trump said.
Obama broadened his critique beyond the Omar case, accusing the administration of repeatedly targeting perceived political opponents. He pointed to federal actions involving New York’s attorney general, a former FBI director and members of the Federal Reserve.
“The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views,” Obama wrote.
He warned of potential long-term consequences if such tactics go unchallenged.
“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,” Obama wrote.
The former president’s intervention marks a rare direct engagement with a specific Trump administration investigation. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Department of Homeland Security for comment on the former president’s allegations.
Omar, a member of the progressive “Squad” in Congress, has been a frequent target of conservative criticism since her election in 2018. The Somalia-born lawmaker has drawn particular ire for her outspoken criticism of Israeli government policies and her support for Palestinian rights.
The federal search of her Washington residence represents an escalation in scrutiny of her personal history, which has previously faced questions from political opponents about her marriages and campaign finances.
Obama’s statement framed the investigation as part of a dangerous pattern that could affect officials across the political spectrum.
The Justice Department has not publicly commented on the specifics of the Omar investigation.