Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, said during a Newsmax appearance on Monday that the administration is looking into Representative Ilhan Omar over allegations of immigration fraud.
“I just got advised by a fraud investigator the other day on that. I asked the question, can we review the files? You know, there was immigration fraud involved,” Homan said on Newsmax. “The statute of limitation became an issue in the last four years when this was first brought up.”
He added that officials are requesting records and reviewing relevant files. “Pulling the records now, pulling the files, and we’re looking at it,” Homan said, describing the investigator as a highly experienced official within HSI, Homeland Security Investigations. “So, I’m running that down this week as a matter of fact, and we’ll see.”
Why It Matters
Trump has claimed that Omar married her brother—an allegation she has repeatedly denied. Omar was born in Somalia in 1982, and her family fled during the country’s civil war when she was 8 years old. They spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya before being granted asylum and arriving in the United States in 1995. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen at 17, in 2000.
During a rally on Tuesday, Trump criticized Omar in remarks that included personal attacks and the allegation about her marriage.
Omar responded on X, calling Trump’s comments “bigoted lies” and saying he was using inflammatory rhetoric instead of focusing on policy.
What To Know
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek that DHS treats marriage-fraud allegations seriously and warned that those found to have committed marriage fraud can face “severe fines, arrest, jail time and deportation.” She added that the department will continue efforts to identify suspicious patterns.
Immigration enforcement remains a major focus of the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday that enforcement operations have resulted in more than 605,000 deportations since January 20. The agency also said 1.9 million people have voluntarily self-deported since January 2025.
Trump’s comments about Omar—who is the first Somali American elected to Congress—come as the administration has intensified rhetoric about Minnesota’s Somali community. Omar represents Minnesota’s 5th congressional district.
What People Are Saying
Representative Ilhan Omar, on X: “No matter what words Trump throws at me, I will not let that deter my work for the people of the Fifth District. Trump should know by now that he should never pick a fight with a Somali woman.”
President Donald Trump, at a rally on Tuesday: “She married her brother… therefore she’s here illegally. She should get the hell out.”
