Ilhan Omar Investigation: DHS Chief Reveals New Details About Probe - Newsweek

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said federal authorities are investigating allegations surrounding Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar's immigration history and a disputed claim that she married her brother to help him enter the United States.

Speaking with conservative commentator Benny Johnson at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, Mullin said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is examining not only Omar's alleged past marriage but also broader questions.

"We know that she married her brother to try to bring him into the United States," Mullin said. "There may be more to this, the whole family migration and possibly some illegal activity for them to come to the United States to begin with." Mullin described the matter as an "ongoing investigation" and said authorities would only proceed if they could establish evidence of wrongdoing.

The allegations involving the Minnesota Democrat have circulated for years in conservative media and political circles. However, they have never been proven in court, no federal agency has publicly released findings substantiating them, and Omar has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

Newsweek reached out to Omar's office for comment Friday afternoon via email.

DHS said it could not comment on specific investigations, with a spokesperson adding, “No one, including members of Congress, are above the law.”

The comments mark one of the strongest public statements yet from a senior Trump administration official regarding allegations surrounding Omar.

The issue has resurfaced amid broader administration efforts to investigate potential immigration fraud cases. Mullin suggested investigators are examining whether any false information was provided during the immigration process and said such violations could remain actionable years later if proven.

The remarks also come weeks after reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) declined to release certain records related to an Omar-related inquiry, citing ongoing enforcement proceedings.

The central allegation concerns Omar's 2009 marriage to British citizen Ahmed Nur Said Elmi.

Critics have claimed for years that Elmi was actually Omar's biological brother and that the marriage was entered into for immigration-related purposes. Under that theory, the marriage would have constituted immigration fraud.

The accusation gained national attention in 2019 after then-President Donald Trump and several conservative organizations called for further investigation. At the center of the dispute are questions about family relationships, immigration records, and inconsistencies that critics say appear in public documents.

No evidence has been produced to substantiate the claims. The couple divorced in 2017.

Several investigations have examined the claims.

In 2019, the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune reviewed newly obtained records and communications related to Omar's marital history. The newspaper reported that some documents raised additional questions about the timeline of Omar's marriages and divorces, but it did not establish that Elmi was her brother.

The New York Times similarly examined the accusations and reported that while questions had been raised about Omar's personal history and marriage records, there was no evidence publicly demonstrating that Elmi was her sibling.

Omar has consistently characterized the allegations as false and politically motivated.

Mullin said investigators believe they have reason to continue examining the case but emphasized that no enforcement action would be taken unless evidence supports it.

"If we actually move a case forward, it's not a political case," Mullin said. "It's an actual case because they did things wrong."

He added that investigators are looking beyond the marriage allegation itself and assessing whether there were broader irregularities associated with the family's immigration history.

“As a matter of policy, DHS does not comment on specific investigative techniques, ongoing investigations, or potential future actions," a DHS spokesperson told Newsweek Friday.

The secretary did not provide documentary evidence supporting his assertion that Omar married her brother, nor did he identify any charges under consideration.

Omar has repeatedly denied that Elmi is her brother and has rejected allegations of immigration fraud.

When the issue resurfaced during her earlier political campaigns, she dismissed the claims as baseless attacks. She has referred to the allegations as "lies."

The Minnesota Democrat has said the allegations are attempts to distract from other administration activity.

It remains unclear whether federal investigators will ultimately bring any civil or criminal case against Omar.

While DHS says an investigation is ongoing, no court has ruled that Omar committed immigration fraud, and no government agency has publicly released evidence proving the claim that her former husband was her brother.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Geoffrey Rowland.