Officials told The New York Times that an Obama-era federal inquiry found some evidence of possible fraud but produced no charges.
WASHINGTON, DC — A newly published account of a 2016 federal investigation has renewed scrutiny of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s 2009 marriage, with current and former officials saying investigators found some evidence suggesting the marriage may have been fraudulent. Omar has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has not been charged over the marriage.
The New York Times reported Oct. 29 that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security examined whether Omar entered into a sham marriage with Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, a British citizen, to help him obtain lawful permanent residency. Critics have long alleged that Elmi was Omar’s brother, an accusation Omar has rejected. The Times said investigators found evidence raising questions about the marriage, but it remains unclear what evidence exists to establish that Omar and Elmi were siblings. Prosecutors did not bring a marriage-fraud case.
The 2016 inquiry is significant because it began during President Barack Obama’s administration, years before the current Trump administration revived scrutiny of Omar’s immigration history. According to the Times, prosecutors concluded that a potential felony marriage-fraud charge was outside the applicable five-year statute of limitations. The absence of charges, therefore, did not necessarily represent a finding that investigators had disproved the allegations. At the same time, the reported investigative evidence has not been tested in court, and no judge or jury has found that Omar entered a fraudulent marriage.
The Times also reported that Elmi obtained a provisional two-year green card based on the marriage. When he later sought permanent status, immigration officials asked for additional evidence showing that the marriage was genuine, according to former officials cited by the newspaper. Elmi instead left the United States and abandoned the petition, those officials said. The newspaper reported that federal investigators included an FBI agent and Homeland Security investigators. The FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota declined to comment publicly on the reported earlier investigation.
Another part of the new reporting concerns a 2016 letter from Andrew Luger, then the U.S. attorney for Minnesota. Omar’s campaign released the letter after a local television report said his office had opened an investigation. Luger wrote that his office was not investigating Omar and had not requested such an investigation. Omar used the letter at the time to reject the allegations as false. Luger told the Times this month, however, that the letter was narrowly intended to correct the claim that his office had requested an immigration investigation and “was never meant to say anything about the substance of the claims.” Local Minnesota reporting has since confirmed that Luger continues to describe the letter that way.
The marriage allegations are now one part of a broader federal examination of Omar’s immigration and citizenship history. Federal agents searched Omar’s Washington residence Oct. 12 as part of an investigation into whether she or members of her family made false statements on immigration documents, according to reports by Reuters, The Washington Post and The Associated Press. Reuters reported that the sealed search warrant identified conspiracy, false statements on immigration paperwork and immigration fraud as potential offenses under investigation. A search warrant and an investigation are not findings of guilt, and authorities have not announced criminal charges against Omar in connection with those allegations.
Investigators have also examined records connected to Omar’s age and the circumstances under which she obtained citizenship through her father, according to people familiar with the investigation who spoke to The Washington Post. Omar was born in Somalia, came to the United States as a refugee and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. She has denied that she or her family committed immigration fraud. Her lawyers have called the current investigation politically motivated and argued that the government is targeting one of President Donald Trump’s prominent congressional critics.
The timing and scope of the current investigation have drawn broader criticism from Democrats and civil-liberties advocates because Omar is seeking reelection and has repeatedly been attacked by Trump. The Associated Press reported that the Justice Department has pursued several politically sensitive investigations as the 2026 midterm elections approach. Justice Department officials have denied that political considerations are driving their work. Vice President JD Vance said earlier in October that the administration should allow investigators to determine whether a case exists rather than prejudge the outcome, saying that if there is a legitimate case, officials should “follow the facts.”
The new reporting changes an important part of the public record surrounding the decade-old controversy by showing that federal investigators examined the marriage during the Obama administration and, according to officials familiar with that work, found some evidence they considered suspicious. It does not establish that Omar committed marriage fraud or that Elmi was her brother. Those questions remain allegations, and the precise evidence gathered in the earlier inquiry has not been made public.
The current federal investigation remains active. Court proceedings are also underway over efforts by news organizations to obtain records connected to the search of Omar’s home. Omar continues to deny wrongdoing, while federal authorities have not publicly announced charges or a final investigative conclusion. Any determination about criminal liability, immigration status or citizenship would require additional legal proceedings and evidence beyond the allegations now in the public record.
Author note: Last updated October 31, 2026.