Minneapolis woman dragged from car by ICE agents sues feds over arrest
Aliya Rahman speaks about ICE arrest lawsuit
Aliya Rahman, the Minneapolis woman who was dragged from her vehicle by federal immigration agents in January, spoke Tuesday about her lawsuit against the U.S. government and the lasting impact of her arrest.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis woman who was dragged from her vehicle by ICE agents while on her way to a doctor's appointment is now suing the federal government over her arrest.
ICE arrest lawsuit filed
What we know:
In a lawsuit filed against the United States government Tuesday morning, Aliya Rahman alleges misconduct by federal agents during her Jan. 13 arrest in Minneapolis.
The lawsuit includes claims of assault, battery, false arrest and imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence.
Rahman is seeking compensatory damages for her physical and emotional injuries.
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Arrest recounted
The backstory:
Rahman says she was driving to a doctor's appointment for a traumatic brain injury when she encountered ICE agents blocking traffic near Park Avenue and East 34th Street in Minneapolis.
The Department of Homeland Security said that agents were attempting to make an arrest when a "significant crowd" gathered, impeding the operation. Rahman says she unknowingly drove into the chaotic situation.
Rahman's confrontation occurred in the midst of the federal immigration surge launched by the Trump administration and a week after Renee Good was shot and killed in Minneapolis.
Local perspective:
According to the lawsuit, agents surrounded her vehicle and shouted conflicting commands as she attempted to get through the intersection.
Rahman says she tried her best to comply with agent demands after being engulfed in the crowd, but ultimately, agents broke her window, pulled her from her car, and dragged her from her vehicle.
Requests for accommodations ignored
Dig deeper:
While being arrested, Rahman told agents she was disabled. As she was being taken to the Whipple Federal Building, the lawsuit states that Rahman asked for accommodations for her disabilities.
In response, however, the lawsuit states that agents "responded by laughing and accusing Ms. Rahman of lying." Rahman also says she asked for a lawyer and her requests were ignored.
The lawsuit says despite Rahman's physical symptoms worsening while in custody, agents didn't seek help until after she passed out. At that point, Rahman feared she would not make it out of custody alive.
According to the lawsuit, when ICE officers did call 911, about 30 minutes after Rahman's cellmates alerted them, she was unresponsive. The lawsuit claims agents told 911 Rahman was suffering from chest pain and anxiety – which did not fit her symptoms. She was ultimately hospitalized.
What they're saying:
The lawsuit follows an administrative complaint filed by Rahman in April which Rahman says the Department of Homeland Security never responded to.
"We followed their process," Rahman's attorney, Jessica Gingold, said. "They didn't respond. And so here we are today, taking them to court."
"This didn't change my worldview, but it definitely changed everything about how I move around the world," said Rahman. "I am still dealing with lasting injuries. But I'll be honest, the hardest thing for me is knowing that this is part of a much, much longer trajectory that we can do something about."
"That is what ICE accountability means to me," continued Rahman. "That is the only thing that matters to me at this point. The rest of it, I'll figure it out. But, these are going to be lifelong injuries."
ICE statements
The other side:
Rahman was never charged with a crime for the altercation. However, in a post on X, the Department of Homeland Security called her an "agitator" and accused her of ignoring multiple commands to move her vehicle away from the scene.
In a statement in February, after Rahman testified about her arrest at a Senate hearing, the Department of Homeland Security issued a follow-up statement: "Unfortunately for the media, we have the receipts. As shown in our video, Aliya Rahman clearly had enough room to move herself and her vehicle out of the way. Officers even walked away from her vehicle, thinking she was going to leave the scene. Instead, she remained at the location, continued to impede our officers, and found out the hard way. 18 U.S.C. § 111 criminalizes impeding or interfering with federal officers."
The Source: This story uses information from a federal lawsuit and past FOX 9 reporting.