Obama Era FBI Probe Examined Omar Marriage Allegations

A federal inquiry launched during the Obama administration examined allegations that Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., married Ahmed Nur Said Elmi in a scheme involving immigration benefits, according to reports published October 29, 2026. The investigation began in 2016, but prosecutors reportedly declined to pursue the case because potential charges may have exceeded the five-year statute of limitations.

The New York Times previously reported that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) opened the inquiry in the summer of 2016 and found some evidence suggesting the marriage might have been fraudulent. The New York Post subsequently reported that prosecutors considered potential false-statement charges too old to pursue.

A source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that a U.S. attorney in Minnesota appointed by then-President Joe Biden shut down the investigation in 2021. An Omar spokesperson disputed that account, saying the earlier inquiry had been rejected for insufficient evidence rather than because of the statute of limitations.

Omar legally married Elmi in 2009, and the pair officially separated in 2017, according to Fox News Digital. The allegations have circulated publicly for years, but a 2019 review by the Minneapolis Star Tribune found that available records could neither confirm nor disprove whether Elmi was Omar's brother.

Omar has consistently rejected the allegations, describing them as a politically motivated conspiracy theory. Her spokesperson said the claims were baseless and accused political opponents of using them to distract from the administration's record.

The renewed scrutiny is separate from a federal investigation that became public on October 12, 2026, when Homeland Security Investigations agents searched Omar's Washington, D.C., home. Authorities confiscated her passport, personal phone and computer, according to Fox News Digital.

The current inquiry reportedly examines whether Omar or her father committed immigration fraud in connection with her application for U.S. citizenship. The New York Post reported that investigators were also examining whether the congresswoman participated in a broader family scheme involving immigration fraud.

President Donald Trump has publicly discussed the possibility of deportation in connection with the allegations. The Department of Justice, however, has not publicly detailed the accusations or announced charges against Omar.

In a court filing this week, federal prosecutors asked a court to keep the search-warrant application sealed while investigators reviewed evidence, arguing that disclosure could jeopardize the ongoing inquiry.

Former President Barack Obama criticized the renewed investigation after the search of Omar's home, arguing that federal authorities should not target elected officials because of their political views. In a post on X earlier in October, Obama accused the Trump administration of singling out Omar because she has criticized the president.

An Omar spokesperson characterized the current inquiry as a political vendetta against one of Trump's most prominent critics. The spokesperson also reiterated that Omar denies both that Elmi is her brother and that their marriage was intended to secure immigration benefits.

The earlier investigation and the current federal inquiry remain distinct matters. Authorities have not publicly announced criminal charges arising from the renewed investigation, and prosecutors have sought to keep details of the search-warrant application confidential.