WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Republican member of Congress is weighing an unusual step, forcing a House vote to expel Rep. Ilhan Omar (D, Minn.) while pointing to long-running claims about her immigration history and criticisms of her views on national security.
The talk comes as federal investigators keep widening their net around large fraud cases tied to Minnesota social service programmes, cases that have drawn heavy political attention and intense media coverage.
Rep. Randy Fine (R, Fla.), a strong supporter of Israel known for blunt remarks, told reporters in mid-December that he is “actively considering” filing an expulsion resolution against Omar. He pointed to allegations, which remain unproven and which Omar has repeatedly denied, that she married her brother to help with immigration. He also accused her of sympathising with extremist violence.
Fine said he would not use the issue as a fundraising hook. He said that if he moves forward, he will put it in writing and push it on the House floor rather than through partisan messaging.
Expelling a House member takes a two-thirds majority, which is a steep hurdle. The House has used expulsion only a handful of times in US history, most often during the Civil War period over loyalty.
Observers say Fine would need major bipartisan backing for the effort to go anywhere in today’s divided Congress. Omar brushed off the threat, saying, “I don’t think anybody takes that man seriously.” Her office did not respond to further requests for comment.
Omar and the Minnesota Somali Corruption
Fine’s remarks landed as Republicans renewed attacks on Omar and on Minnesota’s Somali community, following repeated comments from President Trump. Trump has insulted Somali residents in the state and has claimed Omar should be deported, while repeating old accusations about immigration fraud.
The claims trace back to reporting and commentary that surfaced years ago about Omar’s marriage history, including a short marriage to a man some conservatives alleged was her brother. Omar has described those allegations as “absurd and offensive,” and no charges have been brought.
The latest push also follows earlier GOP attempts that did not succeed. In September 2025, Rep. Nancy Mace (R, S.C.) filed a resolution to censure Omar and strip her of committee roles over comments aimed at conservative activist Charlie Kirk shortly after his assassination. The House set that measure aside in a close vote.
Omar also lost her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2023, after critics said past remarks about Israel were antisemitic.
Minnesota fraud investigations keep expanding
The expulsion talk has spread at the same time as major developments in Minnesota, where federal prosecutors are pursuing what they have described as large-scale fraud involving public funds.
Several investigations focus on schemes that authorities say add up to nearly $1 billion. The best-known is the Feeding Our Future case, in which a non-profit organisation allegedly took more than $250 million that was meant to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dozens of people have been convicted. Prosecutors say some defendants spent money on luxury cars, property abroad, and transfers overseas.
Many of those charged are of Somali background, reflecting Minnesota’s large Somali diaspora, the biggest in the United States. Other active probes involve autism services and housing programmes, and prosecutors have suggested total losses could pass $1 billion.
Omar has called the fraud “reprehensible” and has said Somali residents are victims too, since the programmes often served their neighbourhoods. Critics have highlighted limited links around her orbit. Some people later convicted donated to her campaigns, and those donations were returned. A former campaign worker also pleaded guilty in a related scheme.
Omar has pointed to her own past actions, including a 2022 letter to federal officials urging an investigation into suspected misuse of funds.
The US Treasury Department is also reviewing whether any stolen money ended up abroad. Some allegations have hinted at possible ties to Somali militant groups, although federal sources have said there is no evidence of that so far.
Political backlash and impact on the community
Republicans, including Trump, have tied the fraud cases to broader attacks on immigration policy and have accused Democratic Governor Tim Walz of weak oversight. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R, Ky.) has opened a federal review of how the state handled the programmes.
Omar and community leaders say the rhetoric fuels stigma and can raise the risk of threats against Somali-Americans. Omar has criticised Trump’s language and said it targets people who are US citizens and long-term residents.
Immigration enforcement has also picked up in the Twin Cities area, with ICE operations aimed at undocumented people. Omar has said her US-born son was briefly stopped, and she described it as retaliation.
Expulsion is rare. The most recent case was in 2002, when a member was removed over ethics violations. If Fine files a resolution, it would raise the stakes in a Congress already locked in fights over committee seats, public statements, and partisan discipline.
As the new session nears, it is unclear whether the effort will move beyond talk. Even with shifting power in Washington, the two-thirds vote requirement makes it difficult for any one party to remove a sitting member without broad support.
Omar, elected in 2018 as one of the first Muslim women in Congress, has built a national profile through progressive positions on foreign policy and refugee issues. Supporters see the attacks on her as rooted in prejudice. Critics argue that they are a response to her statements and conduct.
With federal fraud probes still growing, and immigration politics still heated, Minnesota’s Somali community and its most high-profile elected official are again at the centre of a national fight.
