A Justice Department filing in D.C. federal court on Oct. 21 referred to Rep. Ilhan Omar as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” in a motion about unsealing a search warrant for her Washington, D.C., residence. The warrant is part of a Homeland Security Investigations probe into possible immigration fraud involving Omar or her father.
The “Elmi” name matches Omar's ex-husband, feeding long-standing but unproven allegations that he is her brother and that she used a false identity. The filing itself does not allege fraud or explain the name.
The Vatican confirmed Pope Leo XIV will proceed with his Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru after doctors found no medical reason preventing travel three weeks after lung cancer surgery.
A DOJ filing does refer to Rep. Ilhan Omar as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar,” but the filing makes no finding of identity fraud and Omar has not been charged. Omar says her name has always been Ilhan Omar.
BNatalie Harp's account on X is flagging a new court filing that names Ilhan Omar by a completely different name.
BThe DOJ filing calls her "Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar."
BAnd before anyone says fraud — the filing does not allege fraud. At all.
BRight, that's the critical part. It's a motion about unsealing a search warrant for her place in D.C.
BHomeland Security Investigations is looking into possible immigration fraud involving Omar or her father.
BSo there is a real investigation. I'm not dismissing that.
BAnd I'm not ready to dismiss the name thing either. "Elmi" is her ex-husband's last name.
BFor years people have claimed he's actually her brother, that she used a false identity.
BPeople have claimed. The filing makes no finding of fraud. It just lists an alternate name.
BHow do you get an alias in a federal court document if your name has always been Ilhan Omar?
BHer office is blunt: "The Congresswoman's name has always been Ilhan Omar. Any indication otherwise is flat out false."
BAnd you take her word for it?
BI take the filing for what it says. It doesn't accuse her of anything. Trump's demanding she resign based on a name.
BNo, he's demanding she resign because there's a federal investigation into possible immigration fraud. The name is just what made it public.
BAn investigation that hasn't charged her with anything. You don't resign over an investigation.
BYou might if you're a member of Congress and your own life story keeps raising questions. She's been fighting this for a decade.
BFighting what? A conspiracy theory about her brother that's been debunked over and over.
BDebunked? What the Fact rated this "true but misleading" — true that the name appears, misleading to infer fraud from it.
BExactly my point! The name is there — the fraud inference is not. Trump makes the inference anyway.
BBut the search warrant didn't come from nowhere. A judge signed it. HSI is actively investigating. You don't get a warrant on a conspiracy theory.
BYou get a warrant on probable cause. Probable cause isn't proof. It's step one.
BStep one of an investigation into a sitting Congresswoman's identity. That's a legitimate story, Bella, whatever the outcome.
BI'm not saying it's not a story. I'm saying the way it's being weaponized — Trump calling for her resignation, people acting like this is settled — that's not fair.
BFair? This is politics. She's fought off these questions for years — at some point the public deserves answers.
BShe gave an answer: her name has always been Ilhan Omar. Until the DOJ proves otherwise, that's the answer we have.
BAnd the investigation will prove it one way or another. Until then, maybe everyone should hold their fire a little.
BIncluding the president.
BEspecially the president. But you know he won't.
BNo, he won't.
BDifferent corner of the same building — national security. Fox News is reporting Iran is in advanced stages of planning attacks on Americans.
BThat's a big claim. And it's coming from one outlet, no independent confirmation yet.
BRight, so treat it as Fox's reporting, not established fact. But if true, this is serious.
BIf true, it's a major escalation. But we've seen these cycles before — a scary report, then days of silence.
BThe administration has been pretty aggressive on Iran. A plot against Americans would explain some of that posture.
BMaybe. Or Fox has sources hyping a threat assessment. We don't know.
BFair. I'll say this: the fact that it's out there at all means something is percolating.
BOr someone wants it to look that way. We'll keep an eye on it.
BFor now, unverified. Worth watching.