Alan Dershowitz says the federal investigation involving Rep. Ilhan Omar could eventually lead to her losing U.S. citizenship and being deported, arguing that the Minnesota Democrat appears to be underestimating the seriousness of the case.

Dershowitz, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School who has increasingly broken with Democrats in recent years, discussed the investigation during an appearance on Newsmax.

Once a familiar figure in liberal political circles, Dershowitz became increasingly isolated from many of those former allies after defending the Trump administration against what he viewed as prosecutorial overreach by the Justice Department.

He has also become more critical of the Democratic Party over its handling of Israel and rising antisemitism within parts of its political base. Although Dershowitz remains left-of-center on many issues, he has said he can no longer remain a Democrat and now identifies as a Republican.

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His comments about Omar are likely to deepen that divide.

During the Newsmax discussion, Dershowitz focused on questions surrounding Omar’s immigration history and marriage to her former husband. He pointed specifically to her response when asked whether she was related to the man.

Omar answered, "Not to my knowledge"

Dershowitz said the wording raised additional questions rather than settling the matter.

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He called the response "seems like a cop out"

For Dershowitz, whether someone is related to a former spouse should be a straightforward issue rather than one requiring a qualified answer.

The investigation has revived long-running allegations involving Omar’s marriage history, including claims that she married a relative as part of an immigration-related arrangement. Those allegations have circulated for years, but the current federal investigation has placed renewed attention on the issue.

Dershowitz argued that federal investigators likely had substantial evidence before obtaining a search warrant.

He said the existence of the warrant itself suggests prosecutors were able to present enough information to convince a judge that further investigation was justified.

He also said Omar appears to be in denial about the seriousness of her legal situation.

According to Dershowitz, the matter could move well beyond a conventional criminal investigation and eventually reach Omar’s citizenship status.

He predicted that the investigation will continue and could ultimately result in denaturalization followed by deportation.

NEW: Alan Dershowitz predicts Ilhan Omar "DEPORTATION" is "VERY LIKELY"

This is huge coming from Dershowitz. The professor emeritus of Harvard Law School particularly highlighted how Omar responded, "Not to my knowledge" when asked if she was related to her former husband. Dershowitz said her response "seems like a cop out" because it should have been an obvious answer. He also asserted the evidence against Omar must have been significant to obtain the search warrant. Dershowitz argued that Omar is in denial about how deeply troublesome her predicament is. He predicted the investigation into Omar will go much farther and culminate with her being denaturalized and deported. A recent court filing reported by the New York Post showed prosecutors referring to Omar as Ilhan Nur Said Elmi. Her former husband was named Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. Additionally, Omar allegedly changed her birth date to falsely claim to be a minor in order to get U.S. citizenship through her father. — Jason Cohen (@JasonJournoDC) October 23, 2026

That possibility would depend on what federal investigators uncover and whether prosecutors can establish that Omar’s citizenship was improperly obtained or based on false information.

A recent court filing reported by the New York Post added another dimension to the controversy by referring to Omar as Ilhan Nur Said Elmi.

Federal agents also seized Elmi’s phone, passport and computer, along with DNA evidence.

Those seizures have intensified speculation about what investigators are attempting to establish.

The DNA evidence, in particular, has renewed attention on allegations that Omar may have married her brother or another close relative.

BREAKING: NY Post just released a 1997 marriage certificate that lists the father of Ilhan Omar's sister as "Nur Said ELMI," the SAME last name as the man Omar married — HER BROTHER

It's over. Omar's late father, Nur Omar Mohamed, also went by "Nur Said Elmi." In a filing this week, the DOJ referred to the congresswoman herself as "Ilhan Nur Said Elmi." OMAR IS NOT HER REAL NAME. When she was asked directly whether she's related to Ahmed Elmi, she said: "Not to my knowledge" She must forfeit her seat. — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 23, 2026

Dershowitz, however, said Omar’s response to questions about whether she was related to her former husband could become problematic if investigators develop evidence contradicting her statements.

His broader argument is that Omar should treat the inquiry as a serious legal threat rather than dismiss it as another political controversy.

The investigation comes as Omar remains one of the Democratic Party’s most prominent progressive lawmakers and one of its most vocal critics of Israel.

Dershowitz’s criticism carries additional political weight because of his own history as a Democrat and longtime supporter of liberal causes.

His break with the party accelerated as he became more outspoken in defense of Israel and more critical of Democratic legal and political attacks on President Donald Trump.

Now, Dershowitz is warning that Omar’s situation could become much more consequential if investigators conclude that her immigration or naturalization history involved fraud.

He said the matter could ultimately move from questions about marriage and immigration records to the far more serious prospect of losing citizenship entirely.

For now, the investigation remains ongoing, but Dershowitz believes Omar’s legal exposure is significant and that the case could end with denaturalization and deportation if federal authorities prove their allegations.

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