- Published
Barack Obama has said congresswoman Ilhan Omar is under federal criminal investigation simply because she's an outspoken critic of the President Donald Trump.
asserted
she → publish → 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," the former US president wrote on X, calling the probe "so appalling".
asserted
president → bring → probe
The White House defended the inquiry, saying the justice department was "focused on restoring law and order".
asserted
department → defend → law
Last week, homeland security agents searched the Minnesota Democrat's Washington DC home as part of an investigation into her immigration status.
asserted
agents → search → status
Born in Somalia, Omar moved to the US with her family as a child.
asserted
Omar → bear → child
US media outlets have reported that the probe is tied to her American citizenship and whether she lied about her age when she arrived in the US in 1995.
asserted
she → report → 1995
Questions have been raised about whether the age listed on Omar's citizenship application differed from her actual birth date.
asserted
age → raise → date
Obama said in his X post on Sunday that her father became a naturalised citizen when she was 17, and not yet legally an adult, which then gave her citizenship.
asserted
which → say → citizenship
"Now the Administration is actively trying to deport Congresswoman Omar, seemingly based solely on the unsubstantiated theory that she was actually 18 when her father was naturalized, and therefore is not a citizen," he wrote.
"
asserted
he → try → theory
If this becomes the new normal," he added, "there's no reason to believe it will stop with her - or that future presidents, in either party, won't do the same."
asserted
presidents → become → same
According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, a child born outside of the US automatically becomes a citizen when he or she has at least one parent who is a citizen by birth or naturalisation, or he or she is under the age of 18, and is a lawful permanent resident living in the custody of a citizen parent.
uncertain
he → accord → parent
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis denied the investigation was politically motivated.
asserted
investigation → deny → ?
"Unlike Joe Biden, President Trump has not weaponized the Department of Justice against his political foes," she said in an emailed statement to the BBC.
asserted
she → weaponize → BBC
"The Department is focused on restoring law and order and keeping Americans safe."
asserted
Department → focus → Americans
Trump has often argued that federal criminal investigations against him as he campaigned for re-election were politically motivated.
asserted
he → argue → election
The investigation into Omar could lead to the justice department seeking to "denaturalise" her, or revoke her citizenship.
uncertain
department → lead → citizenship
It would have to prove there were material lies in the naturalisation process.
asserted
It → have → process
In 2023, Republicans removed Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee for comments and tweets she made about Israel, which drew bipartisan criticism.
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which → remove → criticism
Omar has said that Trump has targeted her for years with "baseless lies and smear campaigns" and called the investigation "the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation".
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Trump → say → intimidation
But Trump has said the investigation had "nothing to do" with him, while describing Omar as a "terrible person" and a "complainer".
asserted
investigation → say → person
Federal agents reportedly seized her phone, computers, notebooks and passport in the raid a week ago.
uncertain
agents → seize → raid
Her lawyers have demanded the government return her belongings, CBS News, the BBC's US partner, has reported, arguing in a letter sent on Friday that the seizure of property had violated restrictions put in place by a judge to protect her work as a federal lawmaker.
asserted
seizure → demand → lawmaker
The lawyers also alleged agents did not duly notify Omar or the House of Representatives general counsel that a search would be taking place and kept her from contacting her attorney for more than an hour, according to CBS.
uncertain
search → allege → CBS
Democrats characterised the raid as the president attempting to interfere with the legislative branch of government.
asserted
president → characterise → government
Republicans, meanwhile, have said Omar should be treated the same as anyone else under the law.
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Omar → say → law
When Obama first ran for president, and throughout his two terms in the White House, Trump repeatedly raised questions about his citizenship, asserting he was not born on American soil and was disqualified from serving in office.
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he → run → office
Obama released two records proving he had been born in Hawaii.
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he → release → Hawaii
Obama did not mention that history in his X post on Sunday.
asserted
Obama → mention → Sunday
The Aporia
