Former US President Barack Obama has strongly criticised the federal investigation into Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, describing the scrutiny of the Minnesota lawmaker as alarming and warning that the use of government power against political critics could set a dangerous precedent.
In a statement posted on social media on Sunday, October 18, Obama accused the Trump administration of using federal authority to intimidate one of President Donald Trump’s most outspoken opponents. His comments followed a federal search of Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence as part of an investigation reportedly linked to her family’s immigration records.
“The full force of the federal government is being brought to bear against a duly elected public official simply because she had the temerity to criticize the president,” Obama wrote.
He questioned whether investigators were seeking evidence of alleged wrongdoing dating back roughly two decades and argued that the case should concern Americans regardless of their political views.
Obama warned that allowing a president or administration to use public institutions to intimidate opponents could normalise similar actions in the future, regardless of which political party holds power.
Investigation centres on immigration records
Federal agents searched a residence associated with Omar in Washington on October 12 under a court-authorised warrant. The Justice Department confirmed that the search was connected to an ongoing criminal investigation but did not publicly disclose its full scope. Media reports have linked the inquiry to questions about immigration paperwork completed by Omar’s late father when she was a child.
Omar, who fled Somalia with her family in 1995 and became a naturalised US citizen in 2000, has denied wrongdoing and challenged the basis of the investigation.
Her lawyers have also demanded the return of property seized during the search, alleging that federal agents failed to follow certain restrictions imposed by the judge who authorised the warrant. Those allegations have not been resolved publicly.
No criminal charges against Omar had been announced in the reporting cited here, and authorities had not publicly released evidence establishing that she committed immigration fraud.
Trump denies involvement
Trump has denied having a role in the search while continuing to criticise Omar publicly.
Asked about the investigation last week, the president described the congresswoman in disparaging terms and said the matter was for the Justice Department to handle.
Although the administration has not announced a decision to revoke Omar’s citizenship, Trump previously called for her to be sent back to Somalia. More recently, White House border adviser Tom Homan said Omar could potentially face denaturalisation and deportation, according to reporting by The Guardian.
Democrats raise concerns over federal power
Obama’s intervention adds to criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who have questioned both the timing of the search and the government’s handling of the investigation ahead of the November midterm elections.
Omar’s attorneys have characterised the inquiry as politically motivated, while the Justice Department has said the search was conducted under judicial authorisation. The competing claims leave the investigation’s legal and political implications unresolved.
Obama’s central concern, however, was broader than Omar’s individual case: he argued that the use of federal investigative powers against an elected official because of political criticism could threaten democratic safeguards and create a precedent that future administrations might also exploit.
