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.
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