JD Vance Says White House Plans To ‘Go After’ Ilhan Omar For Alleged Immigration Fraud

Vice President J.D. Vance said Friday that the White House is examining possible actions against Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota over allegations of immigration fraud.

Speaking on “The Benny Johnson Show,” Vance stated that the administration believes Omar may have committed immigration fraud and said officials are reviewing legal options for how the matter could be investigated. He said he recently discussed the issue with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller as they evaluate what steps might be available.

According to Vance, the administration is looking into potential legal remedies and determining whether a case could be built around the allegations. He also claimed that Omar has been linked to individuals involved in fraud within parts of Minnesota’s Somali community.

The accusations center on claims that Omar married her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, in 2009 in Minnesota in order to help him obtain legal status in the United States. The allegations have circulated for years among critics, including President Donald Trump and other conservatives.

A timeline reported by the Daily Mail states that Omar married Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi in 2002. In 2009, she allegedly entered into a civil marriage with Elmi. Reports say she separated from Elmi in 2011 but did not finalize the divorce until 2017. During that period, she reunited with Hirsi and had a third child with him.

Omar later married Hirsi again in 2018. That marriage ended in divorce after reports surfaced that she had a relationship with Democratic political consultant Tim Mynett, according to the New York Post.

The comments from Vance come as he leads a new anti-fraud task force that held its first meeting on Friday. The group is focused on investigating fraud connected to social service programs in the United States, with particular attention on Minnesota.

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Authorities have charged dozens of individuals in Minnesota’s Somali community in connection with a scheme involving the theft of about $1 billion in taxpayer funds from state and federal social service programs. Federal prosecutors say roughly $300 million of that amount came from Feeding Our Future, a program created to provide meals to low-income children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

YouTuber Nick Shirley also reported on several Somali-run daycare centers in Minnesota that he alleged were not actually providing the services they claimed.

Omar has criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement for enforcement actions involving Somali communities in the state. In December, she also argued that Somali residents had been unfairly portrayed in connection with the welfare fraud investigation.

Earlier this year, Vance announced that the administration would pause certain Medicaid funding for Minnesota because of concerns about fraud. He said the decision was intended to make sure the state fulfills its responsibility to properly manage taxpayer money.