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Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday said the Justice Department is looking into whether Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., committed immigration fraud, citing longstanding allegations that she married a man critics claim is her brother.
Speaking to reporters, Vance was asked about the administration’s anti-fraud task force — established by President Donald Trump to combat fraud, waste, and abuse across federal benefit programs — and whether it would focus on Omar, a frequent Trump critic.
“You read the things about Ilhan Omar… who she married and whether she didn’t marry this person or that person,” Vance said. “It certainly seems like something fishy is there, but everybody’s entitled to equal justice under the law.”
The comments follow a podcast interview in March, during which Vance told conservative commentator Benny Johnson that he had spoken with White House immigration advisor Stephen Miller about potential legal action against the congresswoman.
ILHAN OMAR LASHES OUT AT ‘SICK’ REPUBLICANS FOR INVESTIGATING HER ALLEGED MARRIAGE TO BROTHER
“We think Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America,” Vance said at the time.
Omar has long been dogged by allegations that she married a man critics allege is her brother, as part of an immigration scheme. Omar has denied the allegation, and the claim has not been proven in public records. In December, she dismissed the claims as “bigoted lies,” writing on social media that Trump was obsessed with her.
“He needs serious help,” Omar wrote on X. “Since he has no economic policies to tout, he’s resorting to regurgitating bigoted lies instead.”
ILHAN OMAR SAYS THERE ARE FEW UNDOCUMENTED SOMALI MIGRANTS IN THE COUNTRY
Omar, who was born in Somalia, arrived in the U.S. in 1995 after her family was granted asylum. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000.
According to reports, Omar entered a religious marriage with Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi in 2002. In 2009, she legally married Ahmed Elmi, a British citizen, whom some allege is her brother. Despite the legal marriage to Elmi, Omar reportedly maintained her religious union with Hirsi, with whom she continued to have children.
Omar and Elmi separated in 2011 but did not legally divorce until 2017. In 2020, Omar married political consultant Tim Mynett.
On Tuesday, Vance reiterated that authorities would investigate the matter.
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“If we think that there’s a crime, we’re going to prosecute that crime,” he said. “And that’s something the Department of Justice is looking at right now.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Omar’s office for comment.
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