One member of Congress is promising a campaign to expel another member if she’s found guilty of immigration fraud.
“You can’t be in Congress if you’re not a citizen of the United States, but if it isn’t automatic, I absolutely will demand expulsion immediately,” explained Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican from Florida.
The focus is on the congresswoman known for years as Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Somali immigrant representing a Someli immigrant populated district in Minnesota.
Just this week federal court document revealed that “Omar” actually is named “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi,” and also is known as “Ilhan Omar.”
Federal investigators conducted a search of her home last week, and media organizations demanded that the search warrant be made public. Prosecutors opposed that in court, explaining the search warrant had not been fully executed yet, and it should remain concealed.
During that filing they revealed the reference to her name.
President Donald Trump weighted in:
It was just revealed that Ilhan Omar’s name is not Ilhan Omar, the one she used to get elected and sworn into Congress, but rather, it’s an entirely different name, Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, and that her last name is, incredibly, also the exact name of her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, the person they said she married and had children with. When asked whether or not she married her brother, she said, “Not to my knowledge.” In other words, she somehow didn’t know? Therefore, because she used a fake name to be sworn in, I assume she must IMMEDIATELY resign from Congress. Please inform the Speaker of the House of Representatives, James Michael Johnson, that the Dumocrat Party has just conceded her seat. Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, her real name, has openly admitted to FRAUD, and she will not be legally allowed to be a Member of this August Body from this point forth. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP ( TS: Oct 22 2026, 11:20 PM ET )
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 23, 2026
A report at Fox explains Fine, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, made his comments after the name revelations, which also listed “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” as an alias.
“I assume that she’s not a citizen,” Fine said.
Critics of Omar’s longtime anti-Trump agenda have suggested she ultimately could be denaturalized and deported.
She’s a naturalized U.S. citizen now. She was born in Somalia and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. She has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated.
But her status does depend on her age when her father obtained citizenship, because at 17 and a juvenile she would have obtained citizenship then too. Key to that argument, and investigation, is the fact that after she joined Congress she ordered her birth date in multiple records locations changed from 1981, the original listing, to 1982, which would make her a juvenile under her father’s application.
“I don’t think Democrats think you should have to be American. They don’t believe in borders,” Fine said. “They’ve made that clear. They don’t believe in America.”
The House has the constitutional authority to expel a member, but doing so requires a two-thirds vote. A criminal investigation or allegation alone does not automatically remove a member from Congress.
Fine blasted Democrats who have contended the DOJ’s investigation into Omar is politically motivated, pointing to the separate inquiry into her financial disclosures. The investigation into her finances began under Joe Biden in 2024, a detail that Fine claimed Democrats have intentionally overlooked, Fox reported.
Her Washington, D.C., home was searched as part of an review of her statements and claims during the immigration process. Her family members also have been subpoenaed to testify and her cellphone was seized, authorities confirm.
She has blamed President Trump for the allegations and search for evidence.
Trump’s goal is to intimidate me and get me to back down. That’s not going to happen. I will not be silenced, and I will not stop fighting for my constituents. https://t.co/AB7g6tmYOK
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 22, 2026
Barack Obama, who is well familiar with questions about his own background, posted online a lengthy defense of Omar:
It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say. But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. To understand why this is so appalling, it’s important to know the facts. Congresswoman Omar came to this country with her father when she was 12 years old. Five years later, her father became a naturalized citizen. If Ilhan had been 18 at the time, she would have had to apply for citizenship separately. But because she was 17, she became a naturalized citizen automatically. Congresswoman Omar went on to graduate from college, work as a community organizer, become the first Somali-American legislator elected to public office in the U.S., and win a seat in Congress. There, she has been one of the Trump Administration’s fiercest critics, which has led the president to repeatedly single her out as someone who he believes does not belong in this country. Now the Administration is actively trying to deport Congresswoman Omar, seemingly based solely on the unsubstantiated theory that she was actually 18 when her father was naturalized, and therefore is not a citizen. Federal agents have raided her home, confiscated personal records, and seized her phone — all to try and uncover a nonexistent smoking gun from 20 years ago that will somehow make their case. Think about that. The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president. And it’s not the first time this has happened. Under President Trump, the Justice Department has repeatedly gone after those he considers his political enemies — from the Attorney General of New York, to the former head of the FBI, to members of the Federal Reserve. In those cases, the prosecutions either stalled or were dismissed for having no basis in law, and the same is likely to happen in this case. But not before Congresswoman Omar’s life has been turned upside down, her legal bills have piled up, and she’s been forced to spend time fighting unsubstantiated charges instead of serving the people of Minnesota. The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views. Because if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 18, 2026
Interestingly, he avoided any mention of Omar’s decision to insist that her birth year be changed from 1981 to 1982 in multiple reference locations.
‘That’s not her real name’: aka ‘Ilhan Omar’ suddenly faces new, complicated issue
Ilhan Omar’s latest answer when asked if she married her brother
