Barack Obama has entered one of the year's most heated political fights. On Sunday, the former president called the Justice Department's investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar "appalling," framing the pre-dawn federal raid on the Minnesota congresswoman's Washington home as an attempt to punish a political enemy. The statement landed a day after White House border czar Tom Homan insisted on Fox News that investigators have a "strong case" — and two days after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he expects the case to reach a grand jury. Omar, the first Somali American elected to Congress, has not been charged.
Obama's "Appalling" Rebuke: What the Former President Said
Obama laid out his case in a lengthy post on X. At the center of the probe, CNN has reported, is whether Omar's father misrepresented her age when she obtained U.S. citizenship in 2000 — listing her as 17 rather than 18, a distinction deciding whether she gained citizenship automatically as a minor.
"To understand why this is so appalling, it's important to know the facts," Obama wrote. He said Omar arrived in the United States with her father at age 12 and automatically became a citizen at 17, when her father was naturalized. Had she actually been 18, she would have had to apply 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.
He warned: "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 also cited cases he said show a pattern — the New York attorney general, a former FBI director, and Federal Reserve members — saying those efforts had stalled or been dismissed. House Democratic leaders called the search "deeply disturbing," saying it "raises serious questions about the continued corrupt weaponization of the federal government against Donald Trump's adversaries."
Homan Defends the Raid: "Strong Case" Claim
On Saturday, White House border czar Tom Homan defended the raid on Fox News as legitimate law enforcement, not a political hit. Homan, who first publicly disclosed the investigation in mid-September, said Homeland Security Investigations — ICE's criminal investigative arm — led the operation.
"I don't want to get ahead of Homeland Security Investigations," Homan said, "but I have been told they have a strong case." He added: "We'll let the evidence lead where it leads but she'll be held to the same standard you and I are held. If she violated the law, then she'll be held accountable."
Mullin: Multiple Warrants, Possible Grand Jury
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin added new details Friday on the Charlie Kirk Show: federal authorities served multiple search warrants the same day agents raided Omar's home — though he would not say where the others were executed or whether they were connected to her.
"We had a judge sign it, and we expect to be able to take the case to a grand jury," Mullin said, noting Omar has not been charged. "We wouldn't move forward, and President Trump didn't want to move forward either, unless we knew that it couldn't be politically driven." Mullin called it "a strong case" and said the inquiry reaches beyond the long-running claims about Omar's 2009 marriage — allegations that she married her brother to help him enter the United States. She has denied them as "absurd and offensive."
The October 12 Raid and the Citizenship Questions
The raid took place in the pre-dawn hours of Monday, October 12, when federal agents searched Omar's Washington, D.C., home. Agents seized her cellphone and passport as part of a probe into alleged immigration fraud and questions about citizenship paperwork her late father prepared in 1995.
Omar, born in Somalia, says she became a lawfully naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000 after her family fled Somalia in 1995. She called the raid "an outrageous abuse of power" to "intimidate his political enemies" — "the latest escalation" in Trump's "campaign of political intimidation" — and said on X: "I will not be silenced." She is seeking a fifth term in Minnesota's 5th District.
Trump told reporters last week: "I think she's a terrible person, but that's really up to the DOJ. I have nothing to do with it." Earlier this year he wrote on Truth Social that he would like to see Omar sent to Somalia; the government has not indicated it will attempt to strip her citizenship.
Why It Matters
Searching a sitting member of Congress's home is extraordinarily rare — and doing it less than a month before voting ends breaks with the Justice Department's practice of avoiding overt investigative steps within 60 days of an election. That is the norm Obama and Democratic leaders say was shattered here. Stripping a naturalized American of citizenship is also one of the gravest powers the government holds, with a deliberately high bar. Whether investigators can build a fraud case from a disputed birth year three decades ago will measure how far the administration intends to press.
What Happens Next
Mullin's grand-jury remark is the clearest signal of the road ahead: if prosecutors believe they have enough, the case could go to a federal grand jury in the coming weeks. Omar's team is already disputing the search's legality and demanding seized property back, so expect court fights over the evidence first — all while her reelection campaign runs against the calendar.
Key Takeaways
- Barack Obama said Sunday the DOJ's investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar is "appalling," accusing the Trump administration of targeting a critic.
- Border czar Tom Homan said Saturday investigators have a "strong case"; DHS Secretary Mullin said Friday he expects a grand-jury presentation.
- Agents raided Omar's Washington home on October 12, seizing her cellphone and passport in a probe centered on her 2000 citizenship paperwork.
- Omar has not been charged; she calls the raid political intimidation and says she was lawfully naturalized in 2000.
- The search came less than a month before the election, breaking the DOJ's norm against overt steps within 60 days of Election Day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Justice Department investigating Ilhan Omar?
Investigators are examining immigration fraud tied to how Omar obtained U.S. citizenship in 2000. CNN reports the probe centers on whether her late father misrepresented her age — listing her as 17 rather than 18, which would decide whether she qualified for automatic derivative citizenship as a minor. Omar denies wrongdoing.
What exactly did Barack Obama say?
Obama called the investigation "appalling," saying "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." He said the probe chases "a nonexistent smoking gun from 20 years ago" and warned against normalizing such tactics.
What did Tom Homan say to defend the raid?
On Fox News Saturday, the border czar said Homeland Security Investigations led the October 12 raid and that he has "been told they have a strong case": "We'll let the evidence lead where it leads but she'll be held to the same standard you and I are held."
What did Homeland Security Secretary Mullin reveal?
On Friday's Charlie Kirk Show, Mullin said multiple search warrants were served the same day as the Omar raid. "We had a judge sign it, and we expect to be able to take the case to a grand jury," he said, denying political motivation and noting Omar has not been charged.
Has Ilhan Omar been charged with anything?
No. Omar has not been charged, and neither has any family member. Several relatives have received grand jury subpoenas, and the Justice Department has not publicly revealed evidence against her. Her team disputes the search's legality and demands seized property back.
By GlobalDeskNews Staff
Sources
- CNN — "Obama calls Trump administration's investigation into Ilhan Omar 'appalling'" (Oct 18, 2026): cnn.com/2026/10/18/politics/obama-ilhan-omar-investigation
- Times Now — "Multiple Warrants, Obama Rebuke: Trump Faces Fresh Heat Over Ilhan Omar Raid" (Oct 19, 2026): timesnownews.com
- The Washington Sun — "Homan Says the Trump Administration Has a 'Strong Case' Against Rep. Ilhan Omar" (Oct 18, 2026): washingtonsun.com
- Fox News — "Obama backs Ilhan Omar amid probe, accuses Trump admin of 'appalling' targeting" (Oct 18, 2026): foxnews.com
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