His remarks immediately raised questions about whether Omar could potentially face denaturalization if investigators establish that she violated federal immigration or naturalization laws.
The controversy follows comments from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin at last week’s Republican National Convention. Mullin said Omar and members of her family are the subject of an investigation concerning alleged crimes.
Mullin also made a much more specific allegation involving Omar’s immigration history, saying she “married her brother to try to bring him into the United States.”
The secretary said the investigation remains underway and suggested that federal authorities could take action if the allegations are substantiated.
“Something’s going to happen,” Mullin said, adding, “If we can prove that you shouldn’t have been here in the first place, we’ll deport you.”
Those comments have placed renewed attention on an allegation that has circulated for years but has never resulted in Omar being removed from the United States or losing her citizenship.
When Homan was asked about Mullin’s statements, however, he stopped short of confirming specific allegations or revealing what investigators have uncovered.
Instead, he stressed that the matter remains an active criminal investigation.
“I know things are going on, but I can’t give specifics of what’s happening,” he continued, adding that the Department of Homeland Security is continuing to investigate.
That distinction is important. Homan did not announce that the federal government has filed a denaturalization case against Omar, nor did he say that deportation proceedings have been initiated against her.
But he did explain that denaturalization is a legally available option when the government can establish that citizenship was obtained through fraud.
“If someone lies through that process to becoming a citizen, and we can prove they in fact lied or misrepresent themselves, we can absolutely denaturalize them. We’ve done it before, many times over the last 40 years I’ve been around.”
The comments underscore a broader immigration-enforcement approach embraced by the Trump administration: citizenship and immigration benefits, officials argue, cannot be obtained through deception and then treated as permanently protected from scrutiny.
For Omar, a prominent progressive Democrat and longtime critic of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, the situation could carry enormous political consequences if federal investigators ultimately substantiate the allegations.
Omar became a naturalized U.S. citizen after arriving in the country as a refugee from Somalia. She later entered Congress and became one of the most recognizable members of the progressive Democratic movement.
Her political opponents have repeatedly raised questions about her immigration history and past marriage records. Omar has denied wrongdoing, and allegations surrounding her family and marriage history have been politically contentious for years.
For now, federal officials are signaling that the investigation—not political rhetoric—will determine what happens next.
Homan also appeared ready for the inevitable political backlash should immigration authorities eventually take action against Omar.
Democrats would likely accuse the administration of targeting one of its political opponents, particularly given Omar’s outspoken criticism of Trump and his immigration agenda.
Homan rejected that argument in advance, insisting that federal immigration officials are enforcing statutes enacted by Congress rather than choosing targets based on political affiliation.
“ICE is enforcing law that Congress wrote!”
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That statement captures the central argument from immigration officials: if investigators establish that an individual violated federal immigration law or obtained citizenship through fraud, political status should not provide immunity.
Still, the investigation must run its course. Homan’s comments do not establish that Omar committed immigration fraud, and they do not amount to a declaration that she will be denaturalized or deported.
For now, the most significant revelation is that federal officials have acknowledged an ongoing investigation while openly discussing the possibility of denaturalization when citizenship was allegedly secured through fraudulent representations.
Whether that investigation ultimately produces criminal charges, immigration proceedings, denaturalization, or no action at all remains to be seen.
But with senior Trump administration officials now publicly discussing the matter, the controversy surrounding Omar’s immigration history is once again receiving national attention—and the next move will come from federal investigators.
