WASHINGTON — In a stunning development that has rocked Capitol Hill and reignited fierce debates over immigration fraud and congressional ethics, the White House on Friday released what it described as “conclusive evidence” that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) married her own brother in 2009 to help him secure U.S. residency and citizenship.
The documents, posted directly to the official White House website and shared across President Trump’s social media accounts, include Minnesota marriage records, voter registration forms, shared residential addresses, and financial transfers that administration officials claim prove Ahmed Nur Said Elmi — Omar’s legal husband from 2009 to 2017 — is in fact her biological brother.
“This is one of the most serious cases of immigration fraud ever perpetrated by a sitting member of Congress,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during an emergency briefing Friday evening. “The American people deserve to know if someone who makes our laws has knowingly broken them to game the system.”
The explosive release marks the culmination of years of speculation that began during Omar’s first congressional campaign in 2018. President Trump, who has repeatedly referred to the allegations at rallies and in interviews, hailed the documents as “total vindication” and called for Omar’s immediate resignation, expulsion from Congress, and potential criminal prosecution.
“Everybody knew it, but now we have the proof,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “She married her brother to cheat immigration laws. Disgraceful! Time to deport and prosecute.”
The Alleged Evidence

A 2009 marriage certificate from Hennepin County, Minnesota, showing Ilhan Abdullahi Omar wed Ahmed Nur Said Elmi on February 12, 2009. The document lists both parties as residing at the same Minneapolis address.
Voter registration records from 2016 in which Elmi listed Omar as his “spouse” and provided the same residential address previously shared by Omar and her acknowledged brother, Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi.
Bank records showing multiple transfers totaling more than $2,300 from Omar to Elmi between 2016 and 2017, described by the White House as “payments to maintain the fraudulent marriage arrangement.”
Social media photographs from 2009–2012 showing Elmi with Omar’s family in settings that administration officials claim are consistent with sibling relationships under Somali cultural naming conventions.
A 2016 North Dakota State University student directory listing Elmi as attending classes alongside Omar, with overlapping academic schedules and shared campus housing references.

Most controversially, the dossier includes what the White House describes as “forensic analysis” of Somali family records obtained through diplomatic channels, asserting that Ahmed Nur Said Elmi and Ilhan Omar share the same parents: Nur Said Elmi Mohamed and Sahra Noor Abukar.
“The paper trail is undeniable,” Leavitt told reporters. “This wasn’t a cultural misunderstanding or a paperwork error. This was a deliberate scheme to circumvent U.S. immigration law.”
Omar’s Complicated Marital History
Omar’s personal life has long been scrutinized. She has acknowledged a complex marital history shaped by Somali cultural and religious practices. In 2002, she entered a faith-based marriage with Ahmed Hirsi, with whom she had three children, but the union was never legally registered. The couple separated in 2008.
In 2009, Omar legally married Elmi. The couple separated in 2011 and formally divorced in 2017 under Islamic tradition, though the civil divorce was not finalized until later. In 2018, Omar legally married Hirsi, her longtime partner and father of her children.
Omar has consistently denied that Elmi is her brother, calling such claims “absurd and offensive” and suggesting they stem from xenophobia and Islamophobia. In past interviews, she has described the allegations as part of a “coordinated smear campaign” aimed at silencing a progressive Muslim woman in Congress.
Immediate Political Fallout
The release triggered an instant firestorm on Capitol Hill.
House Republican leadership moved swiftly. Speaker Mike Johnson announced that the House Ethics Committee would open an immediate investigation and that GOP members would introduce a resolution next week to expel Omar from Congress — a rare measure requiring a two-thirds vote.
“This goes beyond politics,” Johnson said in a statement. “If these allegations are proven true, Rep. Omar has committed felony-level immigration fraud while serving in office. That is incompatible with membership in the House of Representatives.”
Several Republican senators, including Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), called for the Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation, noting that marriage fraud carries potential penalties of up to five years in prison and fines, plus possible deportation for non-citizens involved.
Even some moderate Democrats expressed concern. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who represents a neighboring district, said he was “deeply troubled” by the documents and called for a “transparent, nonpartisan investigation.”
Progressive members of “The Squad,” however, rallied around Omar. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called the White House release “a dangerous and racist attack on a duly elected member of Congress,” while Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) accused the administration of “weaponizing old rumors to distract from policy failures.”
Broader Implications for Immigration and Ethics
The controversy arrives at a moment when President Trump has made immigration enforcement a cornerstone of his second term. The administration has already deported record numbers of individuals with final removal orders and expanded interior enforcement operations.
Legal experts say that if the allegations are substantiated, Omar could face severe consequences beyond Congress. Marriage fraud is a federal crime under 8 U.S.C. § 1325(c), and any immigration benefits obtained by Elmi — including potential citizenship — could be revoked retroactively.
Moreover, questions have arisen about whether Omar herself committed perjury or made false statements on federal forms, including her own naturalization application and subsequent congressional financial disclosures.
Immigration attorneys note that even if the marriage was initially legitimate, maintaining the appearance of a marital relationship solely for immigration benefits could still constitute fraud.
Omar’s Response
As of late Friday, Omar had not issued a formal statement responding to the specific documents. Her office released a brief comment calling the release “a continuation of years-long harassment based on bigotry” and promising a fuller response in the coming days.
Supporters quickly organized vigils outside her Minneapolis office, while critics gathered near the Capitol waving signs reading “No Brother-Husbands in Congress.”
A Polarized Nation Reacts
The story dominated cable news and social media throughout the day. Hashtags #OmarBrother and #MarriageFraud trended nationwide, with millions of posts amplifying both the White House documents and counter-claims of xenophobia.
Civil rights organizations, including CAIR and the ACLU, condemned the release as “state-sponsored Islamophobia,” while conservative commentators praised it as overdue accountability.
Whatever the ultimate truth, the allegations — now backed by official White House endorsement — have thrust one of America’s most prominent Muslim lawmakers into the center of a national firestorm, raising profound questions about trust, immigration integrity, and the boundaries of political discourse in a deeply divided country.
As investigations begin and legal challenges mount, the saga of Ilhan Omar’s 2009 marriage promises to remain a defining controversy of President Trump’s second term.