By DAYO ADESULU
WASHINGTON, D.C. — US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has claimed that Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar could face deportation if an ongoing federal investigation establishes that she committed immigration-related violations.
Mullin made the claim while speaking with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson on Thursday, September 11, 2026, during the Republican midterm convention in Dallas.
The Homeland Security secretary also repeated a long-standing allegation that Omar, a Somali-born member of the US House of Representatives, married her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, who has been alleged by critics to be her brother, as part of an immigration scheme.
However, Omar has repeatedly denied the allegation, describing claims that Elmi is her brother as false and offensive.
DHS Secretary Says Investigation Is Ongoing
Mullin said federal authorities were continuing to examine Omar’s immigration history and suggested that the investigation could uncover conduct that might affect her legal status in the United States.
“We know that she married her brother to try to bring him to the United States,” Mullin said during the interview.
He also referred to Elmi as Omar’s former husband and said authorities believe he currently lives in London.
Mullin stressed that any potential enforcement action would have to be based on evidence rather than political considerations.
“Here’s what I want to make sure we do: if we actually move a case forward, it’s not a political case, it’s an actual case, because they did things wrong,” he said.
The DHS secretary further argued that immigration-related misrepresentations could have consequences even years after a person becomes a citizen.
“If you lied about certain things about your application,” Mullin said, “there’s no expiration to that.”
He added that if authorities could establish that an individual should not have been admitted to the United States in the first place, deportation could follow.
Ilhan Omar Has Denied the Allegation
Omar, who became a naturalized US citizen in 2000 at the age of 17, has consistently rejected allegations that Elmi was her brother.
The controversy dates back more than a decade and intensified after Omar’s marriage records became public.
Omar legally married Elmi in February 2009. The couple later separated, and she has described the relationship as brief, saying they were separated for much of the marriage apart from a period between 2009 and 2011.
She subsequently legally married Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi in January 2018, about a month after dissolving her marriage to Elmi.
There is no public record indicating that Omar and Elmi had children together.
In a 2016 interview with MPR News, Omar directly rejected suggestions that Elmi was her brother.
“Insinuations that Ahmed Nur Said Elmi is my brother are absurd and offensive,” she said at the time.
Her office has also dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
Allegations Have Circulated for Years
The allegations concerning Omar and Elmi have circulated in political and media circles for years.
Some of the earliest claims reportedly appeared on a Somali political discussion forum before spreading more widely.
In subsequent years, media reports examined Omar’s personal relationships, marriage records and immigration history. Some reports also cited individuals who claimed to have knowledge of Omar’s family background.
One disputed episode involved a social media photograph that reportedly showed Elmi holding a newborn child in 2012 and referring to the child as his niece. The photograph was later deleted.
Such reports, however, do not by themselves establish that Omar and Elmi were siblings or that she committed immigration fraud.
Trump and Vance Have Also Made the Claim
The latest comments from Mullin come after President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance previously expressed similar views about Omar.
Vance said in March that he believed Omar had committed immigration fraud, while Trump said in May that he also believed she had married her brother.
Omar has rejected the accusations.
The dispute has therefore become a politically charged issue, particularly as the United States approaches the 2026 midterm elections.
What Could Happen If Immigration Fraud Is Proven?
US immigration law provides serious penalties for marriage fraud.
A person convicted of marriage fraud can face criminal penalties, including imprisonment and a fine. However, allegations alone do not establish criminal liability.
For Omar, any attempt to challenge her citizenship or immigration status would require the relevant authorities to establish the underlying facts and satisfy applicable legal requirements.
That distinction is important because Omar has been a naturalized US citizen for more than two decades and has repeatedly denied the central allegation.
The Legal Question
The key issue is therefore not simply whether the allegation has been repeated by political figures. Rather, authorities would need to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to prove that Omar deliberately misrepresented material facts to US immigration authorities.
Until such evidence is established through the appropriate legal process, the claims against the congresswoman remain allegations that she disputes.
Why This Matters
The renewed controversy over Ilhan Omar and immigration fraud allegations highlights the intersection of immigration enforcement, political accountability and citizenship law in the United States.
It also raises questions about how far the government can go in revisiting immigration records decades after naturalisation.
For Omar, the issue could become politically significant ahead of the midterm elections. For the wider American immigration debate, however, the case also demonstrates why allegations involving citizenship must be separated carefully from proven legal findings.
FAQs
Is Ilhan Omar being deported?
There is no indication in the report that Omar has been deported. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said an investigation is ongoing and suggested that deportation could be considered if authorities establish qualifying immigration violations.
Did Ilhan Omar admit marrying her brother?
No. Omar has repeatedly denied that Ahmed Nur Said Elmi is her brother and has described the allegation as false and offensive.
When did Omar marry Ahmed Elmi?
Omar legally married Elmi in February 2009. She later dissolved that marriage in December 2017 and legally married Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi in January 2018.
What is marriage fraud in the United States?
Marriage fraud generally involves entering into a marriage for the purpose of evading US immigration laws rather than establishing a genuine marital relationship. It can carry criminal penalties.
Conclusion
The renewed allegations against Ilhan Omar have placed the Minnesota congresswoman at the centre of another politically charged immigration controversy.
While Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin says federal authorities are investigating and could pursue deportation if wrongdoing is established, Omar continues to deny that she married her brother or engaged in immigration fraud.
The outcome will ultimately depend on evidence and the legal process rather than political claims. Until authorities establish the allegations in a competent legal proceeding, they remain disputed accusations.
👉 Do you think the investigation should be allowed to run its course without political interference?
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