President Donald Trump recently reignited a contentious debate surrounding Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, publicly suggesting she should be removed from the United States. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump asserted, “Somalia, where you have a Congressman goes around telling everybody about our Constitution, yet she supposedly came into our country by marrying her brother. Well, if that’s true, she shouldn’t be a Congressman, and we should throw her the hell out of our country.”
Allegations of Fraudulent Entry and Marriage
These explosive claims from the President are rooted in long-standing rumors alleging that Omar's entry into the U.S. and subsequent naturalization as a citizen were fraudulent. According to a blog that first highlighted the issue, Omar, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1995, allegedly entered the country not as a genuine member of her family, but rather as part of a second, unrelated "Omar" family.
The blog posits that this unrelated Omar family, which was in the process of being granted asylum by the U.S., allowed Ilhan, her genetic sister Sahra, and her genetic father Nur Said, to use false names. This deception, it claims, enabled them to apply for asylum as members of the Omar family. Concurrently, Ilhan’s other three siblings reportedly obtained asylum in the United Kingdom using their real names: Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, Mohamed Nur Said Elmi, and Leila Nur Said Elmi. Before applying for asylum in the U.S., Ilhan Abdullahi Omar's name was purportedly Ilhan Nur Said Elmi.
Further fueling the controversy are allegations surrounding Omar's marriage history. The reports claim that Ilhan Omar and Ahmed Nur Said Elmi – identified as one of her genetic siblings who received asylum in the UK – married in 2009 and did not divorce until 2017.
Legal Hurdles for Deportation
As a naturalized U.S. citizen, the process of deporting Ilhan Omar is fraught with legal complexities. She cannot be deported unless her citizenship is first revoked, a process known as denaturalization. This can only occur if the U.S. government successfully proves in a court of law that she "willfully lied or hid material facts" during her naturalization process, and crucially, that this deception was fundamental to her obtaining citizenship.
Omar's Response and Broader Context
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has consistently and vehemently dismissed these allegations as entirely untrue. Responding to the speculation surrounding her potential deportation, she previously stated that it "would not be a big deal" for her, asserting her ability to live anywhere in the world.
President Trump's recent comments also fall within a broader pattern of his administration's actions concerning immigrants, particularly Somalis. He has publicly accused "Democratic-ruled" Minnesota, home to a significant Somali community, of "massive fraud" and announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalis in the state. This move has drawn criticism and defense from Omar and other Democrats, who have rallied in support of the Somali community.
This situation underscores the intense political divisions and the ongoing scrutiny faced by prominent immigrant politicians in the U.S.
