Rep. Ilhan Omar’s former husband and alleged brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, described himself as a “gay man” in an academic paper published earlier this year, adding [1] another layer to questions surrounding their 2009 marriage.
Elmi, a doctoral researcher at the University of Bristol, made the statement in an August 2026 paper titled “Out in the Field: Notes on Researching Queer Violence in Kenya.” The Daily Caller first reported on the paper.
“As a gay man of the East African diaspora, my fieldwork was never neutral,” Elmi wrote. His description of his sexual orientation comes amid allegations that his marriage to Omar was arranged to help him secure legal immigration status.
“It was a space shaped by tension, risk, intimacy, and vulnerability,” Elmi continued. “While navigating the challenges of ethnographic research, I immersed myself in the lived experiences of the people I spoke with, while also negotiating my own safety and the complexities of my identity.”
Ilhan Omar’s ex husband who is alleged to be her brother identified as GAY in academic paper.
Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, the alleged brother of Omar, described himself as a “gay man” in an academic paper published this year where he wrote about ‘queer resistance.’
The Somali-born Congresswoman is currently being investigated over allegations of immigration fraud in the case involving the marriage to her alleged brother.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) October 30, 2026 [2]
Elmi moved to Minnesota in 2009 and lived with Omar and her first husband, Ahmed Hirsi. That was the same year Omar and Elmi were married legally.
A friend of Hirsi described Elmi as an “extremely feminine Somali guy” who “was walking around in tight female clothing, which is heavily frowned upon in the Somali community.”
According to the friend, he asked Hirsi about Elmi’s identity and relationship to the household. The source said Hirsi responded that “it was his wife’s brother from London.”
The same source claimed Hirsi explained that Omar had married Elmi legally “to get him papers and that [Hirsi] was only Islamically married to her.” The account directly connects the marriage allegation to Elmi’s immigration status, though Omar has denied knowing that Elmi is related to her.
Elmi remained in Minnesota until 2012, when he left the state. Omar and Elmi later finalized their divorce in 2017, eight years after the marriage took place.
Federal investigators are examining whether Omar participated in a family conspiracy to commit immigration fraud. Such a case could lead to denaturalization and deportation for the Minnesota congresswoman.
Evidence that Omar had entered a sham marriage with Elmi was previously found during a 2016 investigation conducted by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, according to a New York Times report confirmed by The Post.
Reminder, former President Obama recently posted on X in support of Omar, calling the Trump admin probe into her “appalling” and alleging the investigation is targeting her for her political beliefs. But NYT now reports the Obama admin investigated her for some of the same allegations.
https://t.co/VkLCFRMh9a
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 29, 2026 [3]
That case did not move forward after prosecutors determined that any potential criminal conduct had occurred outside the statute of limitations, which covered five years. The passage of time therefore prevented prosecutors from pursuing the potential crime identified during that investigation.
Civil denaturalization proceedings do not face a similar statute of limitations. That distinction leaves federal investigators with another possible route as they examine the allegations involving Omar, Elmi and their reported family relationship.
Omar was asked earlier this month whether Elmi could be related to her. She told MS Now, “Not to my knowledge.”
Of course Ilhan Nur Said Elmi did NOT marry her brother Ahmed Nur Said Elmi.
Why would anyone think that?
– They just have the same last name
– They were married in a secular ceremony in a Christian church as observant Muslims
– Illhan Kept living with her first husband
– Illhan kept having children with her first husband
– Her second “husband” called that child his “neice”
– They call the same man “father”
– Her brother husband fled when asked by federal authorities about the marriage
– The DHS Secretary has confirmed to me that Illhan married her brother
– Even Obama’s DOJ confirmed it
– They have the same DNA…?Anyway, other than that it’s a kooky conspiracy theory!
Thank you @EveningEdit and @FoxBusiness for having me on.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 30, 2026 [4]
The congresswoman’s answer stopped short of an unequivocal declaration that Elmi was not related to her, instead framing her response around her own knowledge. Elmi’s academic paper now provides another detail as federal authorities examine the alleged marriage and possible immigration fraud.
The allegations center on whether Omar legally married Elmi while continuing an Islamic marriage with Hirsi. The source’s account, the earlier federal investigation, and Elmi’s own description of himself have brought renewed attention to a controversy that has followed the “Squad” lawmaker.