Fact Check: Has Somaliland demanded arrest or deportation of Ilhan Omar?
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A rumor has been making the rounds on social media platforms, claiming that Somaliland, the partially recognised country in Africa, has demanded the arrest of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. The claim has sparked speculations, with many questioning the authenticity of the rumor. Let us fact-check the authenticity of the viral rumour.
Claim: Somaliland has demanded arrest of Ilhan Omar
The viral claim suggests that Somaliland authorities have demanded the arrest or extradition of the Somalia-born Minnesota Representative.
The claim surfaced as a post from the account that appeared to be an official Somaliland government page, which read, “Deportation? Please, you’re just sending the princess back to her kingdom. Extradition? Say the word …”
Based on the viral post, Omar's so-called arrest and “extradition” by Somaliland were also covered by credible news outlets like Fox News, the New York Post, the National News Desk of Sinclair Broadcast Group, and the Independent.
Fact Check: False, Somaliland officials denied the claim
However, there are no official records or statements from Somaliland authorities supporting these claims. The account @RepOfSomaliland is not an official account of the Somaliland government.
Somaliland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told The Guardian, “We kindly advise that any news or statements be referenced solely from official and authorized channels to ensure the accuracy and reliability of information.”
Fox News also later acknowledged that the account was not a legitimate government agency.
They wrote, “The post has been corrected to note that the RepofSomaliland X account is not a verified government account,” and later changed the headline to “Pro-Somaliland account backs extraditing Ilhan Omar after Vance fraud claim.”
Additionally, the Somaliland authorities have also clarified in December that they had started identifying and cleansing social media accounts that are not official Government of Somaliland channels.
JD Vance revives fraud claim against Ilhan Omar
The post was in response to Vice President JD Vance's accusation that Omar had engaged in immigration fraud.
In an interview, Vance had said, “We’re trying to figure out what the legal remedies are – how do you go after her, how do you investigate her, how do you build a case necessary to get some justice for the American people?”
These accusations were similar to previous claims made against the Minnesota Democrat, who has strongly denied them by referring to them as “a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract.”
