DHS Secretary Mullin Revives Longstanding Allegation Against Rep. Ilhan Omar, Cites Ongoing Investigation into Alleged Immigration Fraud

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated on September 11, 2026, that federal authorities are investigating claims Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) married her brother Ahmed Nur Said Elmi in 2009 as part of an immigration fraud scheme, telling conservative podcaster Benny Johnson at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas that 'something's going to happen' and 'we know that she married her brother to try to bring him into the United States.' Mullin noted Elmi now lives in London and suggested the probe could extend to broader family migration issues and possible illegal activity in their initial U.S. entry, while emphasizing any action would be based on evidence of wrongdoing rather than politics and that lying on immigration applications has no statute of limitations for denaturalization or deportation.

The remarks align with a decade-old allegation first surfacing in Somali community forums around 2016 and amplified during Omar's early political career. Omar has consistently denied the claim, describing it as 'absurd and offensive,' and maintains the 2009 marriage to British citizen Elmi was legitimate; the couple divorced in 2017. No public evidence or charges have substantiated the sibling relationship or fraud, though critics point to inconsistencies in family immigration timelines and a 2020 Daily Mail report citing a Somali community leader's allegations.

Mullin's comments mark the first public confirmation from a sitting DHS official of an active investigation, building on prior statements by Border Czar Tom Homan. Legal experts note significant hurdles to deporting a naturalized citizen like Omar (citizenship granted in 2000), requiring proof of material fraud in the naturalization process. Mainstream outlets including the New York Post and Newsweek reported the statements directly from the event.

The episode highlights tensions over immigration enforcement priorities under the Trump administration, with Mullin stressing equal application of laws regardless of status or affiliation.