Ilhan Omar's Former Husband, Accused of Being Her Brother, Identified as 'Gay Man' in Academic Paper
Documents reveal Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, linked to allegations of a sham marriage with the congresswoman, referred to himself with this identity in a recently published research paper.
An academic paper published earlier this year by Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, who has been identified as Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's ex-husband and suspected brother, refers to him as a 'gay man.' Elmi, a doctoral researcher at the University of Bristol, authored the paper titled 'Out in the Field: Notes on Researching Queer Violence in Kenya.' In the introduction, he wrote, 'As a gay man of the East African diaspora, my fieldwork was never neutral.'
The Minnesota Democrat has long faced allegations that she married Elmi in 2009 to help him obtain a green card, claims previously reported by the Daily Mail. Omar has repeatedly denied these allegations, dismissing them as a right-wing conspiracy theory. The administration of President Donald Trump launched an investigation into her immigration history amid these claims.
Elmi reportedly came to live with Omar and her first husband, Ahmed Hirsi, in Minnesota in 2009. A friend of Hirsi's described Elmi to the New York Post as an 'extremely feminine Somali guy' who wore 'tight female clothing, which is heavily frowned upon in the Somali community.' According to this source, Hirsi explained that Omar had legally married Elmi to 'get him papers,' while Hirsi and Omar were only married Islamically.
Elmi left Minnesota in 2012, and Omar finalized their divorce in 2017. The New York Times reported that the FBI and Homeland Security investigated the alleged marriage for fraud in 2016 but the investigation stalled due to the statute of limitations. A separate review of Omar's immigration history in 2019 found insufficient evidence of wrongdoing.
Omar has maintained her innocence, calling the allegations of marrying her brother 'insane' and a conspiracy theory. During a recent interview, when asked if her former husband was related to her, she responded, 'Not to my knowledge.' President Trump publicly mocked this response at a rally, suggesting Omar was unsure if she married her brother.
The current inquiry also involves questions about Omar's immigration history, including her birth date and her father's arrival in the U.S. Investigators are examining whether her birth date was accurately recorded on immigration documents and if her father misrepresented information about his past military service in Somalia. Omar was born in Somalia in 1982 and arrived in the U.S. with her family in 1995.
Public records show Omar and Elmi legally married in February 2009 and separated in 2011, divorcing in December 2017. Elmi had previously sought to move his marriage-based green card from conditional to permanent status, but withdrew his application after authorities requested additional evidence due to concerns about the marriage's validity, according to The Washington Post.
Federal agents searched Omar's Washington, D.C., home on October 12 as part of a criminal investigation, seizing her phone and passport. Grand jury subpoenas have been issued to relatives as part of the inquiry. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin indicated that the case could be presented to a grand jury. Omar has accused the Trump administration of using the investigation to intimidate her due to her criticism of the president, while administration officials maintain that law enforcement decisions are based on facts and the law.