Former US President Barack Obama has criticised the Trump administration over its reported efforts to deport Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, describing the case as an alarming example of alleged political intimidation against an elected official.
In a statement, Obama argued that the US government should not target individuals because of their political beliefs or criticism of the president.
“The government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say,” Obama said.
Omar, a Somali-American politician who arrived in the United States with her father at the age of 12, later became a naturalized US citizen and rose to national prominence as one of the most outspoken critics of President Donald Trump.
She made history as the first Somali-American elected to a state legislature in the United States before winning a seat in Congress.
Obama alleged that the administration’s efforts against Omar were based on an unsubstantiated theory concerning her age at the time her father became a US citizen. He also claimed that federal agents had searched her home, seized personal records and confiscated her phone in an attempt to investigate her citizenship status.
The former president questioned the justification for such measures, arguing that the case risked undermining democratic principles and the independence of elected representatives.
“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 said.
He further warned that the case could establish a dangerous precedent if government institutions were used to pressure political opponents.
>“If this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her,” Obama warned.
Obama’s remarks also placed Omar’s case within what he described as a broader pattern of the Trump administration pursuing individuals it considers political adversaries.
He argued that, regardless of disagreements over Omar’s political positions, the government’s treatment of an elected representative should concern Americans across the political spectrum.
**Jijiga News note:** The allegations concerning the administration’s actions and Omar’s citizenship status should be independently verified against court records, official statements and reliable news reports before publication. Obama’s statement alone does not establish the legal status or outcome of any investigation.
