Former US President Barack Obama has raised concerns over the Trump administration’s reported efforts to revoke Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s right to remain in the United States, describing the development as a dangerous use of presidential power.
In a statement published on X on Sunday, Obama argued that disagreements between political leaders should not result in government action against their opponents.
He used Omar’s immigration and citizenship history to challenge the basis of the reported investigation. According to him, Omar arrived in America with her father at the age of 12, and her father obtained US citizenship five years later, when she was 17.
Obama explained that Omar’s age at the time allowed her to acquire citizenship through her father, without filing a separate application as an adult.
Her career subsequently took her from community organising into electoral politics. She became the first Somali-American woman elected to public office in the United States before winning a seat in the House of Representatives.
Obama suggested that Omar’s frequent criticism of Trump had contributed to the attention she was receiving from his administration.
He said the government was reportedly questioning her nationality based on an allegation that she had reached 18 before her father became an American citizen.
The former president also claimed that investigators had searched Omar’s residence, taken documents belonging to her and confiscated her phone while looking for material to support the allegation.
For Obama, the reported investigation raised questions about whether federal institutions were being used to put pressure on a lawmaker because of her political positions.
He extended his criticism to other disputes involving the Trump administration, referring to legal cases involving New York’s attorney general, a former FBI chief and people connected to the Federal Reserve. He said some of those proceedings had failed to progress or had been dismissed over legal shortcomings.
Obama anticipated that the matter involving Omar could face similar difficulties in court. However, he warned that even an unsuccessful case could leave her with substantial legal expenses and take attention away from her duties to constituents in Minnesota.
He urged Americans to look beyond party loyalties when assessing the situation, arguing that the protection of democratic institutions should matter regardless of their opinion of Omar.
Obama concluded that tolerating the use of state power against political critics could expose other public officials to similar treatment under future presidents, whether Democrats or Republicans.
