Barack Obama: “And today we're starting to seize that opportunity.”

People need to “rediscover what’s the story we tell about how we’re going to live together, and see each other, and recognise each other, and disagree, and yet, still care for each other”.

The effort, he said, “should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views.”

It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say.

Now the Administration is actively trying to deport Congresswoman Omar, seemingly based solely on the unsubstantiated theory that she was actually 18 when her father was naturalized, and therefore is not a citizen.