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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Representative Brandon Gill, a first-term lawmaker from Texas, has circulated a petition calling for Representative Ilhan Omar, a United States citizen, to be deported.
Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, decried the effort, saying it was "truly disgusting that members of the Republican party feel emboldened to engage in racist and quite frankly fascist remarks."
Newsweek reached out to Gill and Omar for comment via email.
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Why It Matters
Republicans have clashed with Omar, one of two Muslim women in Congress since she arrived in the House of Representatives in 2019. Omar became a U.S. citizen in 2000 when she was 17. She arrived in the U.S. as a refugee during the Somali Civil War in 1995.
The petition comes as President Donald Trump signed several executive orders and issued directives to carry out his promise of mass deportations of those in the U.S. illegally since returning to the White House in January. Trump made immigration a central theme of his successful presidential campaign. Americans largely support immigration reform overall but disagree about how policies such as deportations should be carried out.
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What To Know
In a fundraising email titled "Petition: Deport Ilhan Omar," first reported by Axios, Gill's campaign called for supporters to sign a petition for Omar to be deported to Somalia.
"Friend, we should have never let Ilhan Omar into our country," the email said. "And frankly, America would be a much better place if she were to be sent back to Somalia."
The email appeared to reference a video shared on social media last week that prompted critics to accuse Omar of conducting seminars for Somalis who are in the U.S. illegally.
The video shows a roomful of unidentified people before cutting to a clip of Omar in a different room telling a reporter that people are "not obligated" to answer questions from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and urged them to "learn the laws and prepare yourself."
Trump ally Elon Musk accused Omar of "breaking the law," prompting Omar to respond on X that "every single person in this country deserves to know their rights. That's legal."
She added the video "is manipulated, and I wasn't even at the event shown."
Omar is "hosting free workshops for Somalians, who are in our country illegally, on how to evade ICE and deportation, the email from Gill's campaign said.
"It could not be more blatant: Ilhan Omar is more loyal to illegal Somalians than she is to the United States, or the office she was elected to."
The email went on to accuse Omar of "facilitating a full-scale invasion of our country."
"A normal society would refer to that as treason," the email added. "But regardless of labels, one thing is clear: The time has come to arrest and deport Ilhan Omar."
The email concludes by urging supporters to sign the petition to "send her back to Somalia where she belongs."
What People Are Saying
Representative Ilhan Omar, in a statement to Axios: "It is truly disgusting that members of the Republican party feel emboldened to engage in racist and quite frankly fascist remarks.
"Representative Gill's attempt to clout chase by threatening to deport a legal US citizen because you disagree with them is directly out of Donald Trump's fascist playbook. I hope Representative Gill learns a thing or two about the value immigrants bring to this country and stop threatening Americans that disagree with him."
Representative Brandon Gill, on X: "America would be a better place if @IlhanMN were deported back to Somalia."
Elon Musk, on X: "[Omar]is breaking the law. Literally. Outright."
Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington, on X: "It's disgusting that Republicans are attempting to raise money by threatening to deport a US citizen just because they disagree with her. Ilhan Omar is a tireless advocate for her district, a fierce protector of our democracy, and I know these fascist threats won't keep her down."
Representative Mark Pocan, a Democrat from Wisconsin, on X: "@SpeakerJohnson, get control of your caucus before we have to take other actions. This is demeaning & embarrassing. We all need to be better than this s***. I expect an answer today."
What Happens Next
As Omar is a U.S. citizen, she is not likely to be deported despite Gill's efforts. However, the dispute highlights the deep divisions in Congress as Republicans work to enact Trump's hardline immigration agenda.
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