Federal prosecutors have identified Rep. Ilhan Omar as Ilhan Nur Said Elmi in court documents, while sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital that the Minnesota Democrat’s publicly used name is not her birth name.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is facing new questions about her identity after federal prosecutors identified her under a different name in court documents related to an ongoing immigration fraud investigation, according to a Fox News Digital report published Thursday, Oct. 22.
The exclusive report by Fox News Digital reporter Peter D’Abrosca identified the congresswoman’s alleged birth name as Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, citing two individuals familiar with the federal investigation, including a law enforcement source.
The disclosure followed a Wednesday court filing by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro seeking to prevent the release of search warrant materials connected to an Oct. 12 raid on Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence.
The filing identified the lawmaker as “Congresswoman Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar,” using the legal abbreviation for “also known as.”
“That’s not her real name,” one source told Fox News Digital when questioned about the court document’s use of Omar’s publicly recognized name.
The filing confirms that federal prosecutors are using both names in the investigation, although it does not independently establish that Omar committed identity fraud or unlawfully used an alias.
Pirro’s office argued against unsealing the search warrant materials because investigators had not completed their execution of the warrant. Several news organizations had requested access to the documents.
The legal development follows a federal search of Omar’s Washington residence by Homeland Security Investigations agents on Oct. 12.
According to Fox News Digital, investigators are examining whether Omar or her late father provided false information on immigration paperwork submitted after their family fled Somalia in the 1990s.
Federal agents seized Omar’s personal phone and passport during the search. Fox News also reported that investigators obtained her DNA as part of the inquiry.
Authorities have issued subpoenas to family members, including Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, who voluntarily spoke with federal investigators last week.
Omar, who represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, has said she was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Oct. 14, 1982, and arrived in the United States with her family as a refugee in 1995.
She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000.
Questions surrounding her immigration records have intensified following allegations that information about her birth year or family relationships may have been inaccurately reported during the citizenship process.
Nathan Hansen, a former federal immigration judge in Minnesota, told Fox News Digital that an established discrepancy involving a person’s legal identity could potentially affect numerous government documents.
“You think of all the types of documents somebody like her might have filled out,” Hansen said, citing student loan applications, public assistance records, passports, driver’s licenses and voting information.
Hansen explained that the legal consequences would depend on whether investigators could establish that a person knowingly used a false identity on official documents.
“If this is not, like, a real legal name, it’s got some legal backing to it that every type of government form she’s filled out in her entire existence might be called into question,” Hansen said.
He also noted that false statements made on documents signed under penalty of perjury could potentially expose an individual to criminal liability.
The allegations have renewed scrutiny of Omar’s previous marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, whom she legally married in 2009 before their separation in 2017.
Omar has repeatedly denied longstanding claims that Elmi is her brother or that their marriage was intended to facilitate immigration fraud.
During a Wednesday interview with MS NOW host Chris Hayes, she again rejected those accusations, describing them as “insane.”
When Hayes asked whether she was related to Elmi, Omar replied, “Not to my knowledge.”
She has maintained that the allegations are politically motivated and has criticized President Donald Trump’s administration for pursuing the investigation shortly before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
“This raid by Trump’s DHS is an outrageous abuse of power and an unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement to target political enemies,” Omar said in a statement following the search.
“The Congresswoman has done nothing wrong. No president should be able to use the power of the federal government to intimidate his political enemies,” the statement continued.
Omar has also expressed concern about threats against herself and her family following the highly publicized investigation.
The Minnesota Democrat has not been charged with a crime, and the allegations concerning her name, immigration history and possible misrepresentations have not been established in court.
Fox News Digital reported that Omar’s attorneys and congressional spokesperson had not responded to requests for comment on the newly disclosed identity information as of publication.
The investigation remains active as prosecutors seek to maintain confidentiality surrounding search warrant materials and federal authorities continue examining immigration records and information obtained from Omar’s relatives.
The latest court filing places the name Ilhan Nur Said Elmi at the center of the inquiry, but whether the discrepancy represents a lawful name change, a documentation issue or evidence of intentional misrepresentation remains unresolved.
Any potential criminal or immigration consequences would depend on evidence establishing the circumstances surrounding the name’s use and whether false statements were knowingly made on federal documents.
Original article
Comments