WASHINGTON, DC — A viral rumor spreading across social media platforms falsely claims that a federal court has ordered Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar to reapply for United States citizenship.
The Viral Claim
The rumor originated from a post on X (formerly Twitter), which alleged that the 4th District US Immigration Court issued an order requiring Omar to submit a new citizenship application.
The post falsely quoted an immigration judge named Jeb Narroo, stating: “She was granted citizenship as a minor child of a naturalized person, but they lied about her age… Since she was 18 at the time, she’s required to apply herself.”
Furthermore, the post claimed Omar was given a 30-day deadline to comply or face the revocation of her citizenship, which would supposedly disqualify her from serving in Congress. The post quickly amassed tens of thousands of views, with some social media users reacting with renewed accusations of immigration fraud, while others expressed skepticism about the report’s validity.
Fact Check: The Claim is Completely False
There is no truth to the rumor. No immigration court has issued any directive demanding that the Somalia-born Democrat reapply for citizenship, nor is she facing imminent disqualification from Congress based on such an order.
A review of official records, public statements, and press releases shows zero evidence to support the claim. An administrative or judicial action of this magnitude against a sitting member of Congress would immediately capture national headlines and be heavily covered by mainstream media outlets. However, comprehensive searches across major search engines returned no legitimate news reports corroborating the rumor.
Context Behind the Rumor
The misinformation spread in the wake of renewed political scrutiny following a federal court filing that listed the Minnesota lawmaker’s name as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.”
Following the filing, President Donald Trump publicly called for Omar’s resignation during a campaign appearance, pointing to the name discrepancy and referencing an ongoing investigation into historical immigration fraud allegations—allegations that Omar has consistently denied.
While the court filing and subsequent political rhetoric are real, the specific claim regarding an immigration court mandate ordering her to reapply for citizenship within 30 days is entirely fabricated.