US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has said an internal investigation has found that Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar "married her brother" to help him gain entry to the United States, and he has raised the possibility of deportation. Mullin's comments, made to conservative commentator Benny Johnson, break with the usual practice of officials declining to discuss ongoing investigations, and come as Omar has long been a target of criticism from President Trump and his administration.

Mullin was referring to Omar's second husband, previously identified by the Daily Mail as Ahmed Elmi, who he said now lives in London; Omar has denied claims that Elmi is her brother. Long-standing allegations, dating back to a 2016 report on the website Somalispot, suggest Omar married Elmi while still wed to her first husband, Ahmed Hirsi, whom she married in an unregistered Muslim ceremony in 2002. Mullin described the alleged conduct as "possible illegal activity" with "no expiration" on potential charges, while insisting the probe was not politically motivated. Omar's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.