A U.S. citizen named Aliya Rahman was dragged out of her car and detained by immigration officers in Minneapolis while on her way to a medical appointment, according to her statement released on Thursday. The incident, captured on video, has drawn millions of views on social media and is part of an ongoing immigration crackdown in the area.
Rahman detailed that she was on her way to the Traumatic Brain Injury Center when she encountered federal immigration officers at an intersection. The video shows immigration agents shouting commands over the sound of protesters, including whistles, car horns, and screams. At one point, a masked agent smashed Rahman's passenger side window and, along with others, forcibly pulled her from her vehicle through the driver's side door. Despite her claims of being disabled and needing to see a doctor, Rahman was restrained and taken to an ICE vehicle.
According to Rahman's attorney, Alexa Van Brunt, the situation left her client in a "terrible and confusing position." Van Brunt stated that Rahman's only options were to drive forward into the officers and risk accusations of harm, as had happened in a recent incident leading to a fatality, or to remain stationary, which ultimately led to her arrest. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security countered this narrative, labeling Rahman as an agitator who allegedly disregarded orders to move her vehicle.
Rahman was arrested alongside six others deemed agitators by ICE, although the department did not clarify if she faced any charges or address claims about her medical treatment while detained. In her statement, Rahman recalled losing consciousness in her cell after repeatedly asking for a doctor. She asserted that she was only taken to a hospital after she lost consciousness and was later treated for injuries consistent with an assault.
The video of her arrest is among many that have recently gone viral, amid increasing scrutiny over conflicting accounts from federal officials and eyewitnesses. These videos often depict a tense atmosphere characterized by protesters attempting to disrupt what they describe as aggressive tactics employed by immigration officials. Common scenes include officers breaking vehicle windows, using pepper spray, and detaining both immigrants and U.S. citizens without apparent justification.
One chilling video shows heavily armed immigration agents using a battering ram to gain entry into a Minneapolis home inhabited by Garrison Gibson and his family. Another incident captured at a Target store involved the detainment of two employees, both U.S. citizens, by ICE agents, an act later corroborated by family posts on social media. Additional footage reveals an ICE agent kneeing a man repeatedly in the face while several other agents held him down on the ground.
Monica Bicking, a nurse, who has witnessed multiple detentions while traveling to her job, reported that she now carries a whistle for protection against ICE encounters. She expressed that the community has become hypervigilant over concerns about immigration raids and the safety of neighbors.
Following her harrowing detention, Rahman expressed gratitude to the emergency department staff for their care, stating, "They gave me hope when I thought I was going to die." Her experience exemplifies the heightened tension surrounding immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis and the ongoing fear felt by many in the community.
