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Fact check: Did Somaliland really demand Ilhan Omar's arrest? Here's the truth deportation row
A claim about Somaliland demanding the arrest of Ilhan Omar has been debunked. No such request was made, and the account that posted is not an official page.
A viral claim suggesting that Somaliland authorities demanded the arrest or extradition of US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has been debunked. Officials and reports have confirmed that no such request was made.
The controversy gained traction on X platforms, where a post falsely alleged that Omar, who was born in Somalia, was facing legal action from Somaliland authorities.
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What sparked the extradition and arrest claims?
The claims focused on a post made by @RepOfSomaliland in response to JD Vance's accusations 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 mirrored earlier accusations made against the Minnesota Democrat, who was born in Somalia and has fiercely refuted them by calling them “a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract.”
The post from the account that appeared to be an official Somaliland government page read, “Deportation? Please, you’re just sending the princess back to her kingdom. Extradition? Say the word …”
Moreover, based on the post, Omar's so-called arrest and “extradition” by the 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.
However, there is no official record or statement from Somaliland authorities supporting these assertions.
Read more: Trump's first reaction to Ilhan Omar being attacked revealed, 'She's a fraud'
Somaliland officials deny any such demand
The Guardian reported that 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.”
Additionally, Somaliland had clarified in December last year that they had started identifying and cleansing social media accounts that are NOT official Government of Somaliland channels.
Later, Fox News also 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.”
Fox News, however, then changed its headline to, “Pro-Somaliland account backs extraditing Ilhan Omar after Vance fraud claim.”
