Federal agents executed a search warrant at 6 a.m. today at the home of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, to locate evidence of immigration fraud and other crimes.
The investigation centers on two critical allegations: that Omar committed immigration fraud prior to naturalizing as a U.S. citizen and perpetrated marriage fraud by entering into a fake union with her brother to facilitate his entry into the country.
According to government officials, the search stems from a criminal fraud probe into Omar’s immigration paperwork, which was completed by her late father during her childhood. The Justice Department confirmed the warrant was “judicially” approved and part of an ongoing federal investigation. Border czar Tom Homan stated DHS had initiated a criminal inquiry, reiterating claims made earlier this year. A government fraud investigator verified “there was immigration fraud involved,” noting the statute of limitations became relevant in 2020 due to actions taken by the Biden administration.
Omar maintains she was granted automatic citizenship as a minor because her father naturalized her during his own process. However, congressional records indicate she became a citizen at age 17, and speculation arose after former Minnesota candidate AJ Kern alleged discrepancies in her birth year on official databases. This led to online claims she was not a minor at the time of naturalization—a scenario that could trigger denaturalization proceedings.
Federal fraud experts emphasized the government must meet a “very high bar” to prosecute Omar for document fraud, including proof she was represented by counsel and whether errors on her application constitute intentional misconduct.
Omar has repeatedly asserted she is not afraid of such investigations, calling them politically motivated. She claimed today on social media that efforts to prove immigration or marriage fraud are part of a broader political campaign.
The marriage fraud allegation involves Omar’s 2009 union with her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, a British subject. A Somali community leader in Minneapolis, Abdihakim Osman, confirmed she married him and admitted she would “do what she had to do to get [her brother] ‘papers’.” The ceremony was conducted by a Christian minister because Muslim officiants would refuse to perform the union due to familial ties. Omar and her brother continued living together as husband and wife despite their marriage being legally voided through separation claims.
Omar also faces scrutiny over her role in the $250 million federal food-fraud scheme “Feeding Our Future,” which targeted Somali communities. A government official stated she allegedly helped write legislation enabling the fraud, while another source confirmed she knew about the program’s illegal activities.