Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated federal investigators are examining long-standing allegations surrounding the immigration history of Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN). Mullin suggested additional developments could follow this ongoing probe into the Minnesota congresswoman. His remarks were made on Thursday during an appearance with conservative commentator Benny Johnson at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas.
"If we can prove it that you shouldn’t have been here in the first place, we’ll deport you." Markwayne Mullin, Homeland Security Secretary
Mullin, who was confirmed as Homeland Security Secretary in March, directly addressed allegations that Omar married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, whom critics have claimed is her biological brother, as part of an immigration scheme. "Something's going to happen," Mullin responded when questioned about the matter. He then made a more definitive assertion regarding the marriage. "We know that she married her brother to try to bring him into the United States," the DHS Secretary stated.
These allegations have circulated for several years but have never been publicly substantiated with definitive proof. Representative Omar has consistently denied that Elmi is her brother and has rejected claims that the marriage involved any form of immigration fraud. Previous examinations of the allegations by various news organizations have identified gaps and inconsistencies in the available public record but have not conclusively established a sibling relationship between Omar and Elmi. For instance, a Minneapolis Star Tribune investigation, reviewed by PolitiFact, reportedly stated it could neither conclusively confirm nor rebut the allegation. Omar has previously characterized the accusations as "absolutely false and ridiculous" and described suggestions that Elmi was her brother as "absurd and offensive."
Secretary Mullin indicated that investigators are looking beyond the specific marriage claim, examining the broader circumstances surrounding the immigration history of Omar’s family. "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 said, adding, "But all of this, we’re investigating."
The Secretary emphasized that any potential federal action arising from the investigation would be predicated solely on evidence uncovered by investigators, rather than political considerations. "If we actually move a case forward, it’s not a political case," Mullin asserted. "It’s actually a case because they did things wrong." Mullin also outlined potential consequences if investigators conclude that false information was supplied during an immigration process. "If you decided to break the law or lie on the information you gave the United States … but you didn’t tell us who you actually were … there’s no expiration to that," he explained. He further added, "If we can prove it that you shouldn’t have been here in the first place, we’ll deport you."
As of Thursday, Mullin’s remarks did not constitute an announcement of charges, and no criminal charges connected to the marriage allegation had been publicly announced. The renewed scrutiny follows similar public discussions by other officials in President Trump's administration earlier this year. In May, Vice President JD Vance commented that the Justice Department was examining whether there was evidence of immigration fraud involving the Minnesota congresswoman. "It certainly seems like something fishy is there, but everybody’s entitled to equal justice under the laws, so we’re going to investigate it," Vance said at the time, according to the source material. Vance also specified that authorities would pursue charges only if investigators determined that a crime had occurred.
President Donald Trump has also repeatedly raised the brother-marriage allegation publicly, while Representative Omar has continued to deny it. The claim dates back to her early political career and has been a subject of repeated investigation by news organizations, none of which have produced definitive proof that Elmi was her biological brother, as reported by Trending Politics. Representative Omar is a naturalized U.S. citizen, born in Somalia, who arrived in the United States as a refugee before obtaining citizenship as a teenager.
The Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas, where Mullin made his latest statements, gathered President Trump's administration officials and Republican candidates as the party prepares for upcoming congressional elections. For now, Secretary Mullin’s comments indicate that federal authorities continue to examine the allegations, but they do not establish that Representative Omar has committed immigration fraud or any other crime.
