GOP lawmaker says he will move to expel Omar

Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) said Friday he plans to introduce a resolution to expel Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) if a federal investigation finds she broke the law.

The Florida Republican is a conservative firebrand sometimes known for his controversial comments, including describing Omar as a “terrorist” in 2025, a comment House Democrats condemned as racist. 

Fine told The Hill’s broadcast partner NewsNation he had already reached out to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ask for more details on the investigation into Omar.

Omar’s Washington home was raided by federal immigration authorities Oct. 12 as part of a criminal investigation into her immigration status. Born in Somalia, Omar became a U.S. citizen in 2000 after her father was naturalized, but some on the right have long accused her of marrying her brother to obtain citizenship. Omar has repeatedly denied those claims.

The DOJ typically does not pursue law enforcement actions against political candidates this close to an election. Omar is running for reelection in this year’s midterms.

Attorney General Todd Blanche was asked about the timing of the investigation Thursday as he was announcing an indictment against another Democratic lawmaker: Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D).

“This is a long-running case, as alleged in the indictment,” Blanche said. “People can criticize all they want, but it was time to bring the charges. The grand jury returned an indictment, and we made the arrests.”

President Trump said Thursday that Omar should resign “immediately,” accusing her of having a fake name.

“Because she used a fake name to be sworn in, I assume she must IMMEDIATELY resign from Congress,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Please inform the Speaker of the House of Representatives, James Michael Johnson, that the Dumocrat Party has just conceded her seat.”

Omar said in a statement to NewsNation on Friday that accusations she has a fake name are “categorically false” and have “no basis in fact.”

As one of the most progressive members of the House, Omar has been a target of Trump and Republicans for years.

In 2019, Trump posted on social media that Omar, along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) should “go back” to where they came from, though Omar was the only one of the four who was not born in the U.S.

“Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came,” Trump wrote at the time.

The House voted to condemn Trump’s language as “racist” 240-187, with four Republicans voting with Democrats.