Somali-born US congresswoman speaks on claims she married own brother

Somali-born US congresswoman Ilhan Omar has dismissed allegations that she married her biological brother to help him obtain immigration benefits, describing the claims as “insane”.

The Minnesota Democrat addressed the long-running controversy during an interview with journalist Chris Hayes on MS NOW on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, days after federal agents searched her home in Washington, DC.

Asked whether she had any family relationship with her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, Omar replied, “Not to my knowledge.”

Her response attracted attention because it stopped short of an outright denial, although she has repeatedly rejected the allegations in the past.

The controversy centres on Omar's 2009 marriage to Elmi, a British citizen whom critics have alleged was her brother.

The allegations suggest that the marriage was arranged to help Elmi secure immigration benefits in the United States.

However, no credible public evidence has established that the two are siblings, and fact-checking organisations have previously found the allegations unsubstantiated.

During the interview, Omar said the accusations originated from a Somali community blog before gaining attention among conservative political commentators.

She accused right-wing figures in Minneapolis of promoting the claims through accounts from unidentified individuals who allegedly said she had introduced Elmi as her brother.

Omar described those accounts as “insane”.

When Hayes asked whether there was any truth to the allegations or whether she was related to Elmi in any way, she responded, “Not to my knowledge.”

The remarks came amid renewed scrutiny of Omar's immigration history following a federal search of her residence.

Agents from Homeland Security Investigations, she said, arrived at her Washington home at about 6am on October 12.

She said between 10 and 15 officers spent nearly five hours searching the property and confiscated 17 items, including mobile phones.

Omar accused the authorities of conducting the operation to intimidate her and satisfy her political opponents.

She said the raid appeared designed to “freak [her] out” rather than pursue a legitimate investigation.

Reports indicate that federal investigators are examining aspects of her immigration history, including possible discrepancies in documents associated with her family.

Omar has denied committing immigration fraud and maintains that she obtained American citizenship legally.

Born in Somalia in 1982, Omar fled the country's civil war with her family and spent several years in a refugee camp in Kenya before relocating to the United States.

She became a naturalised American citizen as a teenager and later entered politics.

In 2018, she became one of the first two Muslim women elected to the US Congress and the first Somali-American woman to serve in the House of Representatives.

Omar represents Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis and surrounding communities.

Her political career has attracted national attention because of her criticism of US foreign policy, immigration enforcement and President Donald Trump.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Omar over her Somali background and previously amplified allegations concerning her marriage.

During Wednesday's interview, Omar also addressed questions about her family's finances, saying she lives from one pay cheque to another.

She attributed earlier discrepancies in financial documents to errors.

The congresswoman also suggested she might have to relocate because her home address had become public.