The Republic of Somaliland, which views itself as a separate state from Somalia, responded to immigration fraud accusations against Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. These accusations were made by Vice President JD Vance, who stated that Omar committed immigration fraud against the United States. Omar's office dismissed the claim as false.

Somaliland's message on X, after Vance made the statement, was: "Deportation? Please, you're just sending the princess back to her kingdom. Extradition? Say the word..." This message followed Vance discussing Omar during an interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson.

Vance mentioned that he had spoken with White House immigration adviser Stephen Miller about potential legal options regarding the congresswoman. Vance stated, "We're trying to look at what the remedies are," and added, "The thing we're trying to figure out is what the legal remedies are now that we know she committed immigration fraud. How do we investigate her? How do we build a case to get justice for the American people?"

Omar's office responded quickly. Connor McNutt, Omar's chief of staff, told Fox News Digital that Vance's accusation was "a ridiculous lie."

McNutt added, "This is rich coming from someone who literally said they were willing to 'create stories' to redirect the media. This is a ridiculous lie and a desperate attempt to distract from the pedophile protection party's unpopular war of choice, rising gas prices, and declining polling numbers."

This dispute follows years of attacks from Trump and his allies over allegations that Omar married her brother to help him enter the United States. Omar has previously denied those accusations.

Somaliland's involvement adds an international dimension to a dispute that has mostly occurred within U.S. politics. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 and has operated with its own governing institutions, although it lacks broad international recognition. The Council on Foreign Relations notes that no country recognized Somaliland’s sovereignty for decades after its 1991 declaration, while Britannica states that the territory claimed independence from the rest of Somalia that same year.

Most of the international community, including the United States, still does not recognize Somaliland as an independent country. The publication also reported that Somaliland’s post came amid criticism of Omar’s opposition to the recognition of Somaliland and her support for Somalia’s territorial claims.

Israel became the first U.N. member state to recognize Somaliland, linking this to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement of full diplomatic relations last year. There is no extradition treaty between the U.S. and Somaliland, and if Omar were to be extradited in reality, the U.S. will deal with Somalia. However, the Minnesota Democrat has not been accused of any crimes, and the fraud claims remain unproven.