Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is under investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and could face deportation if allegations of marriage fraud are proven, according to Tom Homan, President Donald Trump's Border Czar.
Homan confirmed the ongoing investigation in an interview on Fox News' The Sunday Briefing, corroborating a statement made by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
"I know things are going on, but I can't give specifics of what's happening. But we'll see," Homan said when pressed by host Jacqui Heinrich. When asked directly if there was an investigation into Omar, Homan affirmed, "I'm confirming that ICE is, yes, like I said months ago, that is something that's been reported and needs to be looked at."
Secretary Mullin had previously claimed that Omar, who was born in Somalia, "married her brother" and could face deportation. Homan echoed this sentiment, stating, "if someone committed marriage fraud or anything like that, regardless if they're a congressman or not, no one's above the law."
Homan explained that denaturalization is a possibility if immigration processes were manipulated. "We have done denaturalized cases. We have denaturalized citizens based on fraud, based on lying under applications or lying through the process, misrepresenting themselves," he told Heinrich. "But denaturalization is a process, it's a very serious process. So if someone lies through that process to becoming a citizen, and we can prove they in fact lied or misrepresented themselves, we can absolutely denaturalize them. We've done it before, many times over the last 40 years I've been around so it's a process."
Mullin's comments, made on a podcast with Benny Johnson, suggested that Omar married Ahmed Elmi, identified as her second husband, in an effort to bring him into the United States. Mullin claimed that Elmi now lives in London.
Omar has previously denied allegations of marriage fraud. Reports indicate she may have been married to her first husband, Ahmed Hirsi, at the time of her marriage to Elmi. She has since remarried a third time to political consultant Tim Mynett.
Mullin characterized Omar's alleged actions as "possible illegal activity" and stated the investigation is "ongoing." He also threatened deportation, saying, "If we can prove it that, maybe you shouldn't have been here in the first place, we'll deport you."
Omar became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000 at the age of 17. Falsifying immigration documents is a deportable offense. Homan indicated that proving such misrepresentation could lead to denaturalization, a complex legal procedure. Moment of the meeting between Trump and Omar Moment of the meeting between Trump and Omar
Representative Omar has denied any wrongdoing when it comes to allegations of immigration fraud.
Representative Omar has denied any wrongdoing when it comes to allegations of immigration fraud
Omar has long denied that she married Elmi (pictured above)
Omar has long denied that she married Elmi (pictured above)
Trump's Border Czar Tom Homan told Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich that he could see a scenario in which Ilhan Omar gets denaturalized, despite it being a 'serious process'
Trump's Border Czar Tom Homan told Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich that he could see a scenario in which Ilhan Omar gets denaturalized, despite it being a 'serious process'