Rep. Ilhan Omar's Father Dies Due to Coronavirus

Father of Somalia-born U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar died Monday night of complications from the novel coronavirus.

"It is with tremendous sadness and pain to say goodbye to my father," the Minnesota congresswoman tweeted late on Monday. "No words can describe what he meant to me and all who knew and loved him."

Omar and her father, Nur Mohamed, came to the United States as refugees in 1995 during Somalia's civil war and eventually settled in Minneapolis, according to Politico.

Omar was elected along with Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib in November 2018 making them among the first two Muslim women to serve in the U.S. Congress.

The Minnesota representative did not respond to Reuters request for a comment.