Vice President JD Vance said Friday that Rep. Ilhan Omar committed immigration fraud against the United States by allegedly marrying her brother to secure his legal status in the country.
The long-standing allegation centers on claims that Omar married her biological brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, in 2009 to help him obtain U.S. residency. Omar, who has denied the allegation for years, divorced Elmi in 2017. She has called the accusations a smear campaign.
“We actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America,” Vance told podcaster Benny Johnson during an appearance on his show.
Vance said he has been consulting with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller on potential legal remedies, framing the question as how to investigate and build a case against the Minnesota Democrat.
“How do you go after her? How do you investigate her? How do you actually build the case to actually get some justice for the American people?” Vance said.
Vance also claimed that Omar “has been at the center of a lot of the worst fraudsters in the Somalian community” and suggested that conduct should also be subject to investigation.
“I’m worried about the immigration,” Vance said. “I’m also worried about: What did Ilhan Omar know about what was happening in the Somali-American community? And why was nobody looking into it until, frankly, Donald Trump came along?”
No charges have been filed against Omar. Vance’s comments signal the administration is actively exploring whether a federal case could be constructed around the years-old allegations.
