United States Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is once again at the centre of a political firestorm as long-disputed allegations about her citizenship and immigration history resurface.
This time, the claims have been amplified by President Donald Trump and a wave of conservative commentators.
The Somali-born Minnesota Democrat, who has been a frequent target of right-wing criticism, is facing renewed calls for denaturalisation and deportation over old claims that she married her brother to fraudulently obtain immigration benefits. The allegations have been circulating since 2016, but have never been substantiated by any federal investigative body.
The controversy reignited after Trump referenced Omar in a recent rally and again on social media, suggesting she entered the United States unlawfully.
“If that’s true, she shouldn’t be a Congressman, and we should throw her the hell out of our country,” Trump told supporters, framing the issue as one of national integrity and insisting federal authorities should revisit her case.
His remarks fueled a resurgence of posts across social media, with MAGA-aligned influencers amplifying claims that Omar committed marriage and immigration fraud.
One viral post alleged, “Evidence shows Ilhan Omar married her brother – a crime that should lead to her deportation,” though no verifiable documentation accompanied the claim.
Omar, for her part, has long maintained that the allegations are baseless, rooted in political hostility, Islamophobia, and racial resentment. Past investigations by the FBI, House Ethics Committee, and journalists, including a detailed review by the Minnesota Star Tribune, found no conclusive evidence of wrongdoing or familial ties between Omar and Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, the man she married in 2009.
Even so, the topic has become a rallying point for critics who view Omar’s ascent from Somali refugee to U.S. Congress member as emblematic of broader debates over immigration, assimilation, and the political influence of naturalised citizens.
Can a sitting lawmaker be deported?
Legally, it is possible—but only under specific, rigorous conditions. Naturalised Americans can lose their citizenship through a process known as denaturalisation if the Department of Justice proves they obtained it fraudulently. Such cases, however, typically involve individuals linked to war crimes, terrorism, or major criminal activity, not long-debated, unproven allegations from decades earlier.
Legal analysts note that denaturalisation requires substantial, contemporaneous evidence. In Omar’s case, no law enforcement body has ever advanced a case against her, despite years of scrutiny.
