Resign Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, says Trump over Ilhan Omar's birth name dispute

"Ilhan Nur Said Elmi" is the name US President Donald Trump wants Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to answer for, demanding her resignation over what he calls a case of fraud.

Trump on Friday called on Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to resign, alleging that she used a false name to enter Congress after a Justice Department court filing identified her as "Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar". Trump also invoked longstanding, unproven allegations that Omar married her brother, as a federal investigation into her immigration history continues.

In a post on Truth Social on Friday (October 23), Trump said Omar had used a "fake name" to be sworn into Congress and claimed she had "openly admitted to fraud". The US President urged House Speaker James Michael Johnson to be informed that Omar should immediately resign, arguing that she could no longer legally serve as a member of Congress.

Trump's post followed an October 21 court filing in which federal prosecutors used the name "Ilhan Nur Said Elmi" before listing "Ilhan Abdullahi Omar" as an alternative name. The filing, connected to requests to unseal records relating to the search of Omar's Washington home, did not explain the naming convention or establish that she had committed fraud. The abbreviation "a/k/a" means "also known as" and does not, by itself, prove that a person used a false identity.

Omar, a Minnesota Democrat who was born in Somalia and became a naturalised US citizen in 2000, has rejected allegations of immigration fraud. No public finding has established that she fraudulently obtained citizenship or used a false name to enter Congress.

On October 12, federal agents raided Ilhan Omar's Washington home, seizing 17 items, including phones and documents. Some reports said that investigators obtained her DNA sample. Omar denied that a sample was collected during the search. The Minnesota Congresswoman has since said she will move out over safety concerns.

WHY TRUMP IS QUESTIONING ILHAN OMAR'S NAME

The name controversy centres on the surname Elmi, which Omar shares with her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. The two married legally in Minnesota in February 2009. Omar has said their relationship ended in 2011 and that they divorced under Islamic tradition that year, although their legal divorce was finalised in 2017.

Omar subsequently legally married Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi in January 2018, according to public records. The couple had three children together. Ilhan Omar filed for divorce from Ahmed Hirsi, the father of her three children, in October 2019, citing an "irretrievable breakdown" of their marriage, and the divorce was finalised the following month.

The allegation that Ahmed Nur Said Elmi was Omar's biological brother has circulated among conservative commentators since at least 2016. Critics have alleged that she married him to help him obtain US immigration status. Omar has repeatedly denied the allegation, calling it false and offensive.

The latest controversy intensified after Omar was asked about the allegation in an interview with MS NOW host Chris Hayes on October 21. Hayes asked whether there was any "weird kernel of truth" to the claim that she was related to her former husband. Omar replied, "Not to my knowledge."

Omar said the allegation originated with a Somali blog and was subsequently amplified by right-wing commentators. Her answer has since been cited by critics questioning her account, but it is not an admission that she married her brother.

ILHAN OMAR'S DNA SAMPLE OBTAINED IN FEDERAL PROBE

The name dispute comes amid a federal investigation into Omar's immigration history. Federal agents searched her Washington, DC, residence on October 12 under a judicially authorised warrant. Reports said investigators seized her cellphone and passport, while the investigation has also involved subpoenas issued to some of her relatives.

Fox News reported that investigators had obtained a DNA sample from Omar. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security have not publicly explained how the sample was collected or what it is intended to establish. Reports have differed on the circumstances surrounding the collection of genetic material.

The investigation is reportedly examining allegations concerning Omar's immigration paperwork, including questions about her date of birth and information submitted by her late father. Authorities have not publicly disclosed evidence establishing that she committed immigration fraud, and the purpose of the reported DNA evidence remains unclear.

The controversy over her former marriage is separate from the questions about her immigration and naturalisation records. Even if investigators examine possible family relationships through DNA evidence, the existence of a sample alone does not establish that Omar and Elmi are siblings or that their marriage involved immigration fraud.

Omar has described the search of her home as politically motivated. Her lawyers have challenged the federal action and demanded the return of seized property. The Trump administration has maintained that the investigation is a law-enforcement matter.

Trump's latest demand for Omar's resignation adds a political dimension to the investigation less than two weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, in which she is seeking re-election to represent Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. His assertion that Omar has admitted to fraud goes beyond what has been established publicly: the court filing identifies her by an additional name but does not itself establish that the name was fraudulent or that she is legally disqualified from serving in Congress.

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