Rep. Ilhan Omar says DHS has not formally reached out to her about an investigation and that she does not “really worry about it”
Ilhan OmarU.S. representative for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, answering questions from Fox News Digital reporter Nicholas Ballasy
Rep. Ilhan Omar answers Nicholas Ballasy's questions about a federal investigation, Sept. 18, 2026.
DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: Nicholas Ballasy (@NicholasBallasy on X). Excerpt used for news reporting and commentary
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: 00:00–00:41 (Ballasy’s questions and Omar’s answers).)
Asked by Fox News Digital’s Nicholas Ballasy for a response to statements by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Tom Homan that, in his words, she “allegedly violated immigration law” and is “under criminal investigation,” Rep. Ilhan Omar suggested he ask them what information they have. Asked whether DHS had reached out to her formally or sent her any letters, she said no, and said no again when Ballasy asked “Not at all?” Asked about the allegation that she married her brother, she said “the right wing has always had this shit going, so I don’t really worry about it,” and closed the exchange with “You have a good day.”
“Why don’t you follow up with them and ask them what is the information that they have” … “The right wing has always had this shit going, so I don’t really worry about it. You have a good day.”
Original post
Original video
Reporting
Other statements by Ilhan Omar in this case
- Rep. Ilhan Omar answers “Absolutely not” when asked whether she married her brother and says she is not under investigationEarlier: Condemned
- Omar's spokesperson calls the citizenship push "an authoritarian move to silence an opponent"Later: Condemned
- Omar says her name "has always been Ilhan Omar"Later: Condemned
Where this statement fits
Should Trump administration officials publicly accuse Rep. Ilhan Omar of immigration fraud?
Since at least 2016 there have been unproven claims that Rep. Ilhan Omar’s 2009 husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, is her brother. Senior Trump administration officials have repeated the claim publicly. This record begins with Vice President JD Vance’s March 27, 2026 statement that “we actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud,” and includes President Donald Trump’s May 1 statement, “I believe she married her brother.” On September 10, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a podcast interview, “we know that she married her brother to try to bring him in the United States,” and that an investigation was ongoing. On September 13, border czar Tom Homan declined to give specifics of an “ongoing criminal investigation” but said “no one’s above the law.” Omar has denied the claim: on September 16 she told a reporter “Absolutely not” and that she is not under investigation, and on September 18 Fox News Digital reported her saying DHS had not contacted her. Fox reported that there has been no public evidence available to confirm an open investigation into her.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
The video posted by Fox News Digital reporter Nicholas Ballasy at 5:42 a.m. EDT on September 19, 2026, the day after Fox published its version. Neither says when the exchange was recorded. Fox bleeps Omar's profanity; this video does not.
Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Original video
About this source
Fox News Digital's video of Rep. Ilhan Omar answering questions from reporter Nicholas Ballasy, to whom the video is credited. Fox published it on September 18, 2026 and does not say when it was recorded. Fox's text prints Omar's profanity as "s---."
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Rep. Ilhan Omar answers questions about a reported criminal investigation, in Fox News Digital video, Sept. 18, 2026.
Excerpt from 0:00 to 0:43 of the Fox News video. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: Fox News. Excerpt used for news reporting and commentary
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: 00:00-00:41 (Ballasy's questions and Omar's answers).)
Reporting
About this source
Fox News Digital’s report of Omar’s remarks, bylined Hannah Brennan; the accompanying video is credited to Nicholas Ballasy. It quotes Omar saying DHS has not reached out to her, notes that Omar has repeatedly denied the marriage claim and any claim that DHS or the Justice Department opened an investigation, and says there has been no public evidence available to confirm an open investigation. It also reports that Vice President JD Vance claimed in May that the Justice Department was looking into allegations against Omar.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Ballasy first asked whether Omar had a response to the DHS secretary and Tom Homan saying she allegedly violated immigration law and is under criminal investigation, then whether DHS had reached out to her formally or sent her any letters saying she is under investigation.
After the quotation
Fox News Digital’s article quotes Omar as saying “No, they have not,” after being asked whether DHS had reached out; her answer in the video is a single short word and hard to make out. Ballasy then asked for her response to the allegation that she married her brother. Fox reported that Omar has repeatedly denied the claim and any claim that DHS or the Justice Department has opened an investigation of her, and that there has been no public evidence available to confirm an open investigation. Neither Fox nor Ballasy says when the exchange was recorded. On September 16, in a separate exchange, Omar told a LindellTV reporter that she is not under investigation.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Omar answers the officials’ claims by telling the reporter to ask them what information they have, by saying DHS has not contacted her, and by dismissing the marriage allegation as something the right wing “has always had this shit going.” That criticizes the accusation as a recurring partisan attack, though she does not address in this exchange whether it is true. The closest competing labels are “Challenged the characterization”, because she questions the officials’ information and says she has not been contacted, and minimizes, because she says she does not “really worry about it.” They lose because she goes beyond disputing a description by characterizing the accusation itself as something the right wing “has always had this shit going,” and she concedes no concern to downplay. Ending the exchange does not make it “Explicitly stayed out”, because she answered each question first.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Markwayne Mullin, Tom Homan
More from this case
Read the full caseNew York Times editorial board says the Omar investigation aims to silence a critic
The New York Times
“is a chilling example of the federal government using its immense power to silence a critic”Read statement
Trump says Omar "has openly admitted to FRAUD" and must resign
“Therefore, because she used a fake name to be sworn in, I assume she must IMMEDIATELY resign from Congress. Please inform the Speaker of the House of Representatives, James Michael Johnson, that the Dumocrat Party has just conceded her seat. Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, her real name, has openly admitted to FRAUD, and she will not be legally allowed to be a Member of this August Body from this point forth.”Read statement
Trump says Omar "could also go to jail" and calls her "a disgrace to our country"
“Well, she could be. She could also go to jail,” … “You know, they keep talking about deportation. No, she could go to jail.” … “This is just my opinion,” … “She’s a disgrace to our country,”Read statement
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- Rep. Ilhan Omar says DHS has not formally reached out to her about an investigation and that she does not “really worry about it”
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The Dispute Index. "Rep. Ilhan Omar says DHS has not formally reached out to her about an investigation and that she does not “really worry about it”". First published: 2026-09-20. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1249-asked-by-fox-news-digital-s-nicholas-ballasy