Investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Immigration Practices

Vice President J.D. Vance remarked on Tuesday that the Justice Department is looking into whether Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) might have committed immigration fraud. This investigation seems to stem from persistent doubts surrounding her marriage choices, particularly claims from critics that she wed a man who is alleged to be her brother.

When asked about the administration’s anti-fraud task force, which was established by President Donald Trump to tackle issues of fraud and waste in federal programs, Vance indicated that Omar was on his radar. He said, “You read about Ilhan Omar…who she married and how she didn’t marry this person or she didn’t marry that person.” He added that it all appears dubious, while also emphasizing the principle of equal justice under the law.

His remarks followed a podcast from March where Vance shared with conservative commentator Benny Johnson that he had discussed possible legal actions against Omar with Stephen Miller, a White House immigration adviser.

Vance had previously stated, “We believe that Ilhan Omar has undoubtedly committed immigration fraud against the United States.”

The allegations against Omar, which suggest she may have married her brother as part of an immigration scheme, have been around for some time. Omar, however, has consistently refuted these claims, referring to them as “bigoted lies.” In December, she took to social media, stating that Trump was fixated on her and needed “serious help” since he seemed to lack an economic policy to discuss.

Omar has a background that includes arriving in the United States from Somalia in 1995 after her family secured asylum. She became a U.S. citizen in 2000. Reports indicate that she entered into a religious marriage with Ahmed Abdisaran Hirsi in 2002, and later, in 2009, she legally married British citizen Ahmed Elmi, who is at the center of some of the allegations. While she was legally married to Elmi, Omar continued her relationship with Hirsi and had children with him.

The legal marriage with Elmi ended in separation in 2011, but the divorce wasn’t finalized until 2017. In 2020, she married political consultant Tim Mynett.

Vance confirmed again on Tuesday that an inquiry into these matters is underway. “If we believe there is a crime, we will prosecute that crime,” he mentioned, underlining that this is what the Department of Justice is currently evaluating.

Efforts to get a comment from Omar’s office have been made.