Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she is confident that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) will face consequences if federal investigators determine the lawmaker committed immigration fraud. Noem’s remarks came after federal agents executed a search at Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence on Monday.
In an interview Thursday with conservative commentator Benny Johnson, Noem—who was fired by President Trump in March after a turbulent tenure at the department—claimed she had received assurances that Omar “will finally be held accountable for the crimes that she’s committed.”
Trump and other Republican figures have long alleged that Omar, a Somali-born U.S. citizen, married her brother to obtain citizenship, a charge she has consistently denied. When asked to specify which immigration offenses she believed Omar had committed, Noem pointed to the department’s standard practice of scrutinizing all family relationships for citizenship applicants.
“If you go back and find that anything could be wrong or misrepresented, that’s when it voids or cancels out their citizenship,” Noem said.
The former secretary’s comments mark the latest chapter in a prolonged feud between her and Omar over federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Noem oversaw the department during a series of high-profile immigration operations and ensuing protests, including the killings of two U.S. citizens by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Omar accused Noem of spreading “lies and propaganda” about ICE arrests in the state, specifically challenging the then-secretary’s assertions that enforcement efforts primarily targeted migrants without legal status who had harmed children.
The Trump administration announced last year that it would open a criminal investigation into Omar for alleged immigration fraud. On Monday, Homeland Security Investigations agents raided her home, a move that followed reports that federal agents seized Omar’s phone and subpoenaed relatives as part of the probe.
Omar responded to the raid by launching a fundraising appeal, urging supporters to “Stand with Ilhan Omar.” In the email, she wrote: “Donald Trump and DHS have opened a baseless, partisan investigation into Ilhan Omar, and she needs us by her side as they escalate their attacks.” She added, “Chip in whatever you can to make sure Ilhan can beat Trump and keep fighting for our progressive values in Congress.”
The investigation comes amid broader scrutiny of the Department of Homeland Security’s leadership and its policies. A recent Gallup poll showed cabinet approval sliding across key departments, reflecting declining public confidence in agencies like DHS. Meanwhile, the administration has faced criticism for other controversial moves, such as the HHS Secretary’s effort to replace immigrant children’s lawyers.
Noem’s remarks underscore the intensifying political battle over immigration enforcement and the administration’s targeting of a prominent Democratic lawmaker. As the investigation proceeds, both sides are digging in, with Omar framing the probe as partisan retaliation and Republicans insisting that accountability is overdue.
