The crowd chants “Deport” at Donald Trump’s appearance in Ohio. The president is on the campaign trail and repeatedly focuses on the issue of migration. He also attacks the Somali-born Democratic representative, Ilhan Omar.
"She comes here from a country with no laws, no police, no military. All they do is shoot at each other, and she comes here and invokes her rights under the U.S. Constitution," Trump said. "She comes from one of the worst countries on the entire planet."
Omar's house search
There had previously been a raid on Omar's home by immigration officials in Washington. She interpreted the search on social media as an attempt to target political opponents and exploit law enforcement authorities.
Leading Democrats like Minority Leader Hakim Jefferies made similar statements: "Right-wing conspiracy theorists have been attacking Representative Omar for the last eight years. There is nothing that justifies such a raid, especially not less than 30 days before this election."
The Ministry of Justice only speaks of ongoing investigations. Vice President JD Vance rejects the accusation that it is about persecuting political opponents. "I know there are some serious allegations against Ilhan Omar," Vance said. "We will look at it and if there is something there, it will be pursued, and if not, then not."
Timing raises questions
For the former number two in the Ministry of Justice, Donald Eyer, the timing of the house search raises questions. Authorities typically held back from searching or charging candidates in the last two months before an election. This is to avoid any influence.
"Why are they doing this now if they want to investigate, why didn't they do it two months or six months before or wait for the midterms? Instead, the search is coming right before this election," says Eyer.
According to US media reports, this involves immigration documents from Omar's childhood. At the age of twelve, she came to the USA with her family as a refugee from Somalia. She has been a member of Congress since 2019 and belongs to the left wing of the party. Critics also accuse Omar of anti-Semitism because of various statements he has made about Israel. Omar rejects this.
Trump's enemy image
She has been an enemy for Trump for years. He keeps referring to a fraud case in Minnesota. During the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of millions of dollars were diverted from a state food program for children there. Most of the defendants have Somali roots. Trump is referring to Omar, even though she is not accused of anything in the case.
And she is not the only politician with a migration background that Trump is targeting. Another candidate is Abdul El-Sayed, who wants to become Senator for Michigan for the Democrats in the midterms.
Trump recently said about him: "I call him Mohammed. Someone told me his name is not Mohammed, but Abdul. I said, for me his name is Mohammed. I am the president and I can call him whatever I damn well want. For me his name is Mohammed and he is a radical jihadist."
Vinegar attack on Omar
At the beginning of the year, Ilhan Omar found out that verbal attacks can also turn into physical attacks when a man sprayed her with vinegar at a performance. Even back then, she blamed Trump for the heated climate.
“I’ve experienced this over and over again since I was elected,” Omar said. "The President of the United States speaks hateful words about me and the people I represent."
Omar and El-Sayed are among the best-known politicians with a migration history in the USA and they are repeatedly met with hostility. Deport them, the crowd in Ohio shouted - and both are American citizens. Shortly before the midterms, it is once again apparent how divided the country is.
