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FBI Under Obama Found Evidence of Omar's Alleged Brother Marriage Fraud

· Confirmed

Politics Desk

In Short: The FBI and Department of Homeland Security under President Barack Obama found evidence suggesting Rep. Ilhan Omar entered into a sham marriage with a man suspected of being her brother to help him obtain a green card.

Barack Obama
Photo: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security under former President Barack Obama found evidence that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) committed marriage fraud with a man suspected of being her brother, The New York Times reported on Thursday.

In a recent court filing, the Justice Department referred to Omar as Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, even though she divorced Elmi in 2017.

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The Obama-era investigation began in 2016 and uncovered some evidence that the marriage was fraudulent, according to current and former officials.

Omar has repeatedly denied the allegations, dismissing them as a right-wing conspiracy theory.

The investigation raised two potential criminal issues for the Democrat congresswoman: federal law prohibits knowingly entering a marriage only to obtain a green card, and all 50 states prohibit siblings from marrying.

The Obama administration declined to bring charges after determining the statute of limitations had expired.

However, President Donald Trump's Justice Department has launched its own investigation into Omar's immigration history, which Obama called 'appalling' in an X post on October 18.

The new investigation is reportedly probing potential misrepresentations on her immigration applications and could lead to her deportation.

Omar has claimed she obtained US citizenship through her Somali-born father, Nur Omar Mohamed, who died in 2020, though no records of her or her father's naturalization have been found.

The allegations have shadowed Omar's political career for more than a decade, with President Trump repeating the accusation last week.

Democrats are screaming 'political persecution,' but Obama's own agents were the ones digging into this first.

The 2009 marriage resulted in Elmi receiving a green card, and the investigation found evidence suggesting that Elmi and Omar were siblings.

What this adds

The Obama-era investigation began in 2016 and uncovered some evidence that the marriage was fraudulent.

The investigation raised two potential criminal issues for the Democrat congresswoman: federal law prohibits knowingly entering a marriage only to obtain a green card, and all 50 states prohibit siblings from marrying.

The Obama administration declined to bring charges after determining the statute of limitations had expired.

Omar has claimed she obtained US citizenship through her Somali-born father, Nur Omar Mohamed, who died in 2020, though no records of her or her father's naturalization have been found.

Background

Federal agents under the Obama administration investigated Rep. Ilhan Omar's marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, finding some evidence that it was fraudulent.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security under President Barack Obama found evidence suggesting Rep. Ilhan Omar entered into a sham marriage with a man suspected of being her brother to help him obtain a green card.

What's confirmed

What's still developing

Sources