Ilhan Omar’s Birthdate Changed After Election, Raises Citizenship Questions
Rep. Ilhan Omar’s staff altered her birthdate in 2019, sparking questions about her citizenship claim.
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Staff for Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) reportedly changed her birth year from 1981 to 1982 on official records shortly after she began her first term in the U.S. House, according to a report by the New York Post. This change has become a focal point of an ongoing investigation into her citizenship status.
Birthdate Change and Citizenship Eligibility
Omar has consistently claimed she became a U.S. citizen as a minor in 2000, when her father obtained citizenship. She stated, “I became a citizen actually before I turned 18. My father became a citizen and so I got my citizenship through that process.”
Her age at the time is crucial because deriving citizenship through a parent requires meeting legal requirements before turning 18. If Omar was born in 1981, she would have been 18 or 19 in 2000, which would have required her to go through the naturalization process as an adult. However, if she was 17, she could have automatically derived citizenship through her father’s naturalization, provided she met other conditions.
Missing Evidence and Record Changes
A 2023 search for records of Omar’s father’s naturalization yielded no results, according to the New York Post. AJ Kern, Omar’s opponent in the 2022 Democratic primary, had requested the information during the campaign, but it was not found a year later.
Previously, Omar’s birthdate was listed as October 4, 1981, by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library and was reported by numerous outlets, including the BBC. This date remained unchanged during her time in the Minnesota House and her first congressional campaign. The change to 1982 was requested in mid-2019, following questions from a political opponent about her age.
The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library confirmed the update in May 2019, with staff noting the original 1981 listing came from previously published reports they had no reason to doubt at the time. Omar’s congressional staff worked to correct the birth year on various platforms, though the update was not yet reflected on some sources.
Investigation and Legal Scrutiny
Federal agents raided Omar’s home early Monday, searching for immigration records related to her late father. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that Omar’s financial disclosures are also under review. Omar responded by accusing President Donald Trump of “weaponizing” federal law enforcement.
Source: Daily Wire
