Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin says the federal investigation involving Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar extends beyond the Minnesota congresswoman and involves multiple individuals, with the Department of Justice now overseeing the case.
Speaking to Fox News on Friday, Mullin described the investigation as extensive and rejected accusations that federal authorities were targeting Omar for political reasons.
“This isn’t just a case that’s targeting one individual. This is a large case that we have presented to the DOJ, and the DOJ is leading the investigations,” Mullin said.
The remarks follow reports that federal agents searched Omar’s Washington, DC, residence in mid-October as part of an investigation into allegations involving her immigration history.
Investigators reportedly confiscated the congresswoman’s cellphone and issued subpoenas to members of her family while gathering evidence for federal prosecutors.
Omar has faced longstanding allegations that she married Ahmed Elmi, whom critics claim is her brother, to facilitate his immigration status in the United States. The allegations have not been established in court.
During an interview with MSNow, Omar was asked directly whether she had married her brother.
“Not to my knowledge,” the congresswoman responded.
Federal investigators have reportedly also examined discrepancies concerning Omar’s age when her father became a naturalized American citizen.
Omar has maintained that she was 17 at the time, which would have allowed her to obtain derivative citizenship through her father’s naturalization, provided other legal requirements were satisfied.
However, questions have been raised about whether she may have already turned 18, potentially affecting her eligibility for automatic citizenship under the applicable immigration laws.
According to the account, federal scrutiny of Omar’s immigration background initially began during the Obama administration before being discontinued under former President Joe Biden.
Former President Barack Obama has reportedly criticized the renewed investigation as politically motivated, an accusation Mullin dismissed while defending the administration’s enforcement priorities.
The DHS secretary insisted that immigration laws must apply equally to everyone, regardless of their political affiliation or position in government.
“I’ve made this very, very, very, very clear: we’re enforcing our nation’s laws across the board equally, and we’re going to continue to do that,” Mullin told Fox News.
He emphasized that elected officials should not receive special treatment when federal authorities investigate potential violations of immigration law.
“I don’t care where you’re seated, and I don’t care how you’re registered to vote, I don’t care what your job title is,” he continued.
Mullin also scoffed at the suggestion that the investigation was intended to generate political publicity or punish an opponent of the administration.
“We’re not playing politics with anybody’s lives,” he said, adding that investigators would allow the evidence to determine how the case proceeds.
