Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said an internal investigation has found that Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., married her brother in an attempt to help him gain U.S. residency, according to a report published by the Daily Mail on Sept. 11, 2026. Mullin said the man in question now lives in London.
“We know that she married her brother to try to bring him into the United States. We know he lives now in London,” Mullin said, according to the report. The Daily Mail identified the man as Ahmed Elmi, whom it has previously reported was Omar’s second husband. Both Omar and Elmi are originally from Somalia.
Claims that Omar and Elmi are siblings have circulated for years, dating back to a 2016 post on the website Somalispot. The Daily Mail has previously reported that a past friend of Omar’s, Abdihakim Osman, told the outlet in 2020 that Omar said she wanted to obtain immigration papers for her brother while she was still married to her first husband, Ahmed Hirsi. The Daily Mail report states that, according to friends who relayed the account, Omar was allegedly still married to Hirsi at the time of her second marriage.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., pushed in January 2026 to subpoena Omar’s and the second husband’s immigration records through the House Oversight Committee. “Public reporting claims Ilhan Omar told friends she married the man who became her second husband, allegedly her brother, in 2009 to help him get papers in the U.S. She had previously entered a religious marriage in 2002 and didn’t legally dissolve this earlier union until years later,” Mace wrote on social media. “Federal marriage fraud is a felony punishable by prison, steep fines, and deportation, and there are additional potential state and tax law questions which need to be answered. If she has nothing to hide, let’s put it all on the table.”
Mace also wrote at the time that party leadership had suggested a “strongly worded letter” rather than a subpoena, adding, “Strongly worded letters don’t get answers. Subpoenas do.”
Mullin told commentator Benny Johnson that Omar’s alleged actions amounted to “possible illegal activity” and confirmed the matter remains under investigation, stating, “We’re investigating.” He also said there is “no expiration” on the potential criminal charges involved. Mullin said the review is not politically motivated, stating, “When we move forward, it’s not political,” despite prior public criticism of Omar by President Donald Trump.
Trump has previously said publicly, “She married her brother in order to get in. Right? She married her brother… She married her brother to get in. Therefore she’s here illegally. She should get the hell out. Throw her the hell out.” Omar responded on social media at the time, writing, “Trump’s obsession with me is beyond weird. He needs serious help. Since he has no economic policies to tout, he’s resorting to regurgitating bigoted lies instead. He continues to be a national embarrassment.”
Omar has repeatedly denied the allegations, and a spokesperson for her has called the claims “absurd and offensive.” No charges have been filed against Omar in connection with the matter as of this report, and she has not been convicted of any wrongdoing related to the allegations. Under U.S. law, individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Marriage fraud, sometimes called immigration marriage fraud, generally refers to entering into a marriage for the primary purpose of circumventing immigration laws rather than establishing a life together. Under federal law, such conduct can be charged as a felony carrying potential prison time, fines and immigration consequences including deportation, though any such determination requires formal charges and adjudication in court.
The Department of Homeland Security’s review of the matter remains ongoing, and it is not clear whether the investigation will result in formal charges or further congressional action, including the subpoena sought by Mace earlier this year.
Source: Wnd.com
