Federal investigators are reportedly examining DNA evidence, witness accounts, and government records as part of a years-long investigation into allegations that Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar married her brother to help him obtain legal immigration status. The probe could lead to criminal charges, but authorities have not publicly established the allegations, and Omar has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Sources familiar with the investigation told the New York Post that prosecutors believe DNA evidence could help determine whether Omar knowingly married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, her former husband, despite an alleged sibling relationship. Investigators are also looking into whether Omar or members of her family provided false information to immigration officials. However, the government has not publicly disclosed the DNA findings or confirmed that they prove the allegations.
The investigation drew renewed attention after Homeland Security Investigations agents searched Omar’s Washington, D.C., home on October 12 and removed boxes labeled “Seized Property Evidence.” Authorities have not clarified whether they obtained the DNA before or after the search. Sources also pushed back against reports that investigators collected samples by searching through discarded trash. Prosecutors are reportedly assessing whether the evidence could support conspiracy charges related to immigration fraud.
The allegations have followed Omar since her first campaign for the Minnesota state legislature in 2016. She married Elmi in 2009 and divorced him in 2017. According to the Washington Post, Elmi later applied for a marriage-based green card but withdrew his application in 2019 after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requested more documentation about the marriage. Investigators have also examined records involving Omar’s overlapping relationships, including joint tax filings with another partner while she was still legally married to Elmi.
The federal inquiry extends beyond the alleged marriage. Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is also examining Omar’s financial disclosures, including an accounting discrepancy that reportedly reduced her declared net worth by tens of millions of dollars within a year.
Pirro told Fox News that a judge would not have approved the search warrant without probable cause and said any proven crime would be prosecuted. President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has also described the government’s case as strong enough to potentially support efforts to revoke Omar’s citizenship.
Omar’s legal team has challenged the investigation, arguing that there is “no legitimate basis” to claim she violated laws governing her citizenship. Her attorneys also questioned how agents carried out the search and accused the Trump administration of targeting her because of her political advocacy. The Justice Department rejected those accusations, saying its attorneys and law enforcement partners followed court orders and legal requirements.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani has said prosecutors could pursue a conspiracy case to address older conduct that might otherwise fall outside the statute of limitations. Whether the investigation results in charges remains unclear, and any attempt to revoke the citizenship of a sitting member of Congress would face substantial legal challenges.
SOURCE: blacknews.com