Fine, who represents Florida and belongs to the House Freedom Caucus, made the statement during an interview with Fox News Digital on Friday, October 23.

His comments followed reports about a federal court filing that listed Omar under the name “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi” and identified “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” as an alias. The filing has drawn attention to questions surrounding her identity and immigration records, but it does not establish that she committed fraud.

Fine questioned Omar’s citizenship status and said he would demand her immediate expulsion if removing her from Congress did not happen automatically.

However, Omar is a naturalised US citizen. Born in Somalia, she became an American citizen in 2000. She has denied wrongdoing and described the investigation as politically motivated.

Federal authorities searched Omar’s Washington, DC, residence on October 12 as part of an investigation into possible false statements in immigration and naturalisation documents. Reports also indicate that investigators seized her cellphone and issued grand jury subpoenas to some members of her family.

The full scope of the investigation has not been publicly established, and reports available as of October 24 have not confirmed that criminal charges have been filed against Omar in connection with the immigration inquiry.

Fine also criticised Democrats over their expected opposition to Republican efforts to censure or expel the congresswoman. He further attacked Representative Delia Ramirez, a Democrat from Illinois, over her proposed Reimagining Safety Act, which seeks to restructure federal homeland security responsibilities, including those currently handled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

The Florida lawmaker also pointed to a separate inquiry into Omar’s financial disclosures that began in 2024, arguing that Democrats had criticised the current investigation despite the earlier scrutiny.

Under the US Constitution, the House of Representatives has the authority to expel one of its members, but the move requires the support of two-thirds of the chamber. An investigation or allegation alone does not automatically remove a lawmaker from office.

Any attempt to expel Omar would therefore face a significant political and constitutional hurdle, while the outcome of the federal investigation remains uncertain.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia