A U.S. citizen says she was forcibly removed from her car and detained by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, an incident captured on video that has spread widely across social media and intensified scrutiny of the federal immigration crackdown underway in the city.
Aliya Rahman said she was on her way to a medical appointment when she encountered agents at an intersection near an active enforcement operation. Video footage appears to show masked officers shouting commands amid loud protests before breaking her car window, cutting her seatbelt and pulling her from the vehicle. She was then carried to an enforcement vehicle and taken into custody.
Rahman said she was held at a detention facility where she was denied medical care, later losing consciousness before being transferred to a hospital. Her attorney, MacArthur Justice Center, said Rahman was placed in an impossible situation, unable to safely move her vehicle without risking further harm.
The Department of Homeland Security disputed Rahman’s account, saying she ignored repeated commands to leave the area and describing her as an agitator who interfered with officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. DHS said Rahman was detained along with several others but did not clarify whether she was charged or address claims that she was denied medical treatment.
The incident is one of many videos circulating online documenting aggressive immigration enforcement across Minneapolis, where local officials say thousands of federal agents have carried out arrests amid ongoing protests. Other footage shows agents breaking into homes, detaining people at workplaces and using force during arrests, including cases involving U.S. citizens who were later released.
Rahman said she is grateful to be alive and thanked hospital staff who treated her injuries after her release from detention. Civil rights advocates say the growing number of videos has heightened concerns over the scope and conduct of federal immigration operations in the city, as residents report living in constant fear of enforcement actions.
