‘I DON’T CARE IF I GET DEPORTED!’ Ilhan Omar Mocks Americans Calling For Her Deportation

.
.

“I Don’t Care If I Get Deported!”: Ilhan Omar’s Defiance Highlights Complex Loyalties and Political Strategy

The political conduct and statements of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) have long been a source of intense scrutiny, controversy, and accusations of dual loyalty, particularly from conservative commentators. A recent compilation of her remarks, delivered primarily in Somali to Somali-American audiences in Minneapolis, has resurfaced, highlighting the complex relationship between her political office in the United States and her publicly stated primary allegiance to Somalia.

These clips, along with a controversial statement regarding potential deportation, have been widely circulated by critics, including prominent figures on social media, who accuse the Congresswoman of prioritizing foreign national interests over those of the United States and her constituents.

Somalia First: Allegations of Divided Loyalty

One key point of controversy stems from a speech delivered in Somali in Minneapolis, which, according to the provided translation, explicitly outlines the Congresswoman’s primary identity and political agenda.

In the clip, Omar addresses her audience—referred to as “Brothers and sisters, people of the same blood”—and states clearly: “People who know they are Somalians first, Muslims second, who protect one another…”

This statement, where the Congresswoman identifies her primary allegiance as ethnic Somali, followed by religious Muslim, and not American, has been used extensively by her critics to question her fitness to hold a high office in the U.S. government, particularly given the oath required to uphold the U.S. Constitution.

The subsequent segments of the translated speech move from a statement of identity to a declaration of political intent regarding U.S. foreign policy:

Consulting a Foreign President: Omar details numerous calls from Somali citizens urging her to speak to the U.S. government to “thwart the Mao” (referring to some internal conflict or foreign agreement in Somalia) and “help Somalia.”
The Power Dynamic: Her answer to these Somali citizens is particularly explosive: “My answer to Somalians was that the U.S. government will only do what Somalians in the U.S. tell them to do.”
A Call for Control: She continues, asserting dominance over U.S. policy: “They will do what we want and nothing else. They must follow our orders and that is how we will safeguard the interest of Somalia.”

The most controversial line from this segment is arguably the claim of calling the shots in the U.S.: “We Somalians must have the confidence in ourselves that we call the shots in the U.S.” and the subsequent declaration that her role in Congress is solely to represent Somali interests.

In a different clip, Omar is seen referring to the President of Somalia as “our president” multiple times while addressing a rally in Minneapolis, further fueling accusations that she views her loyalty as resting primarily outside the United States. Critics argue that these statements confirm the long-standing accusations of divided loyalty and highlight a fundamental misunderstanding, or deliberate rejection, of the duties of a U.S. Congressperson.

Mockery and Defiance: The Deportation Response

The criticism stemming from her alleged divided loyalties often leads to calls from certain segments of the American population for her deportation or the revocation of her citizenship. Omar recently addressed these threats with a tone of defiance and apparent indifference.

In a transcribed clip, Omar mocks the threat of deportation, stating: “I don’t even know like why that’s like a such a scary threat. Like I’m not the eight-year-old who escaped war anymore. I’m grown. My kids are grown. Like I can go live wherever I want.”

This statement, while attempting to convey strength and resilience as an adult who has overcome her refugee status, is interpreted by her critics as confirmation that she views her commitment to the United States as optional or secondary. The immediate response from critics is often: “Then why don’t you go? You clearly don’t like it here.”

This exchange underscores a central theme in the political rhetoric surrounding Omar: the perceived conflict between her progressive critique of American society (often involving accusations of “white supremacy” and institutional failure) and the benefits she has accrued by serving in the U.S. government. Critics argue that her continuous “America bashing” and “Trump bashing” are undertaken in the service of advancing policies, such as open immigration, that benefit her chosen group, while simultaneously retaining her personal political and financial advantages within the U.S. system.

The response from prominent political figures, notably President Donald Trump, has often been to troll the Congresswoman by emphasizing her perceived foreign loyalty and suggesting she return to her home country. The Trump administration’s social media team previously responded to one of Omar’s comments with a simple image and the word: “Goodbye.”

The Internal Conflict: Race, Religion, and Ethnicity

The commentary surrounding Omar also frequently addresses the interplay of her identity components—race, religion, and ethnicity—and how critics accuse her of exploiting these for political gain while undermining the unity of other groups.

A controversial segment features the former Prime Minister of Somalia, Hassan Ali Khaire, who, in a discussion with Omar present, makes comments that critics interpret as revealing a deeper ethnic loyalty that overrides racial solidarity.

The translated segment includes Khaire stating (in Somali): “It is very important that Ilhan Omar is Somalian and that she is in the US government for us. A Somalian whose thoughts are take that chair from a Black person or from anyone else, their morals are good.”

Critics circulating this clip use it to argue that Omar’s claims of representing “Black people” or “Black women” in the U.S.—a rhetoric often employed against political opponents—are performative. They suggest that her true allegiance is to her ethnic and national group (“Somalian”) and that her political actions are guided by this priority, even if they involve displacing or harming the interests of African-Americans (“a Black person”) who are not ethnically Somali. This interpretation is often used to counter her own accusations of racism and bigotry.

In her own defense on national television, Omar has frequently highlighted her identity as a “Black woman” being targeted by “white supremacy” and “hate.” However, these statements are juxtaposed against the explicit ethnic priorities stated in her Somali language speeches, leading critics to conclude that her political maneuvering is fundamentally transactional and self-serving, with the primary goal of advancing Somali national interests within the U.S. policy framework.

The consensus among critics is that Omar’s political career is characterized by an unapologetic assertion of Somali national interest, often at the expense of U.S. national interests or the interests of other marginalized American groups, and that her defiance regarding potential deportation is merely a confirmation of her belief that her primary allegiance is portable and not rooted in the American political experiment.

.