Ilhan Omar has spoken publicly for the first time since federal agents searched her Washington, D.C., home. During the interview, the Minnesota Democrat also addressed a longstanding claim involving her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. Omar has repeatedly denied allegations that she married Elmi, who critics have claimed was her brother, to commit immigration fraud. No publicly available evidence has established that the two are siblings.
Ilhan Omar talks about ex-husband in first ever interview after DC home raid
MS NOW host Chris Hayes asked Omar whether there was any familial relationship between her and Elmi. “Not to my knowledge,” she responded, according to the New York Post.
Omar then called the broader allegation “insane.” She said the claim originated on a Somali blog before political critics amplified it.
Questions about her ex-husband have followed Omar for years. Vice President JD Vance revived the allegation earlier this year while discussing a federal investigation, although no evidence had established that Omar committed immigration fraud.
The new interview followed the Oct. 12 DC home raid. Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a court-authorized search warrant and removed 17 items, Omar told Hayes.
Those items reportedly included cellphones, notebooks, a camera, and a Somali phrase book. Authorities have described the search as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. No charges have been announced against Omar.
The congresswoman previously responded to the federal search by saying she would “not be silenced”. She has accused the Trump administration of using the investigation to intimidate her, while the Justice Department says agents followed court orders and legal requirements.
Omar also denied reports that investigators collected DNA from her home.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has continued publicly criticizing the congresswoman. He recently suggested Omar could face jail or deportation while discussing the investigation.
For now, the probe remains ongoing. Omar maintains that she did nothing wrong and says she expects investigators will ultimately clear her.
