Aliya Rahman sues over arrest and detention by ICE
Aliya Rahman filed a lawsuit on November 10 accusing federal immigration agents of unlawfully arresting her in Minneapolis, using excessive force and denying her needed medical care while she was detained. The disabled resident was driving to a medical appointment on January 13 when she encountered officers during Operation Metro Surge, the complaint says. The officers’ names are not known.
A bystander’s video shows agents surrounding Rahman’s car, pulling her out and carrying her with her arms restrained behind her back. Her complaint says officers broke a car window, ordered her to move, then stopped her and pulled open the doors as she tried to drive away. She was held at the federal facility named for Bishop Henry Whipple, located in Fort Snelling.
Rahman’s lawyer, Jessica Gingold, said the legal action follows an administrative claim filed in April and a civil rights complaint filed with the Department of Homeland Security in June. Gingold said neither had received a response. She said the lawsuit can allow Rahman’s team to seek evidence and question the agents, whose images are included in the filing.
Rahman said at a press conference that the case is part of a broader effort to address a lack of accountability in law enforcement. DHS previously disputed her account, describing her as an agitator who ignored an officer’s commands to move her vehicle. The lawsuit seeks to hold the federal government responsible for the alleged assault and false imprisonment.
Rahman’s lawsuit challenges ICE force and a system without accountability
Aliya Rahman’s lawsuit puts federal immigration enforcement under scrutiny, alleging that ICE agents used unlawful force against a disabled Minneapolis resident and then failed to provide medical care as her condition worsened. She was driving to a doctor’s appointment on January 13 during Operation Metro Surge when officers surrounded her car, according to the complaint.
Video captured by a bystander shows agents pulling Rahman from the car and carrying her with her arms restrained behind her back. Her complaint says officers broke a window, issued conflicting directions and then pulled open her car doors as she tried to move. She was taken to the federal facility named for Bishop Henry Whipple, located in Fort Snelling.
Rahman had already filed an administrative claim and a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security’s civil rights office. Her attorney, Jessica Gingold, said neither received a response. The lawsuit offers a way to seek evidence and identify the agents, whose names remain unknown, Gingold said.
Rahman said the case reflects a wider problem of law enforcement operating without accountability. DHS has disputed her account, saying she ignored commands to move her vehicle. The allegations now face scrutiny in court, where Rahman’s legal team says it will seek records and question the officers.
Rahman’s ICE lawsuit puts federal agents’ conduct before a court
A federal lawsuit filed by Aliya Rahman will test her allegations about an ICE arrest during Operation Metro Surge, while DHS has offered a sharply different account of the encounter. Rahman, a disabled Minneapolis resident, says officers unlawfully pulled her from her car on January 13 and denied her medical care while in custody.
A bystander’s video shows agents surrounding Rahman’s vehicle, removing her and carrying her with her arms restrained behind her back. Her complaint says officers broke a window and then stopped her as she attempted to drive away. She was held at the federal facility named for Bishop Henry Whipple, located in Fort Snelling.
DHS previously described Rahman as an agitator who ignored an officer’s commands to move her vehicle. The lawsuit alleges assault and false imprisonment, and says the officers’ actions were unlawful. Their identities are not known.
Rahman’s attorney, Jessica Gingold, said earlier complaints to DHS had gone unanswered and that the court process will let the legal team seek evidence and question the agents. Rahman has said her case is about accountability in law enforcement. The government’s response to the lawsuit will bring the competing accounts into the legal process.
Reported by MSNBC, Mother Jones.
