A U.S. citizen on her way to a medical appointment in Minneapolis was dragged out of her car and detained by immigration officers, according to a statement released by the woman on Thursday, after a video of her arrest drew millions of views on social media.
Aliya Rahman said she was brought to a detention center where she was denied medical care and lost consciousness. The Department of Homeland Security said she was an agitator who was obstructing ICE agents conducting arrests in the area.
That video is the latest in a deluge of online content that documents an intensifying immigration crackdown across the midwestern city, as thousands of federal agents execute arrests amid protests in what local officials have likened to a “federal invasion.”
Dragged from her car
Rahman stated that she was on her way to a routine appointment at the Traumatic Brain Injury Center when she encountered federal immigration agents. Video footage appears to show federal immigration agents shouting commands amidst the chaos of whistles, car horns, and shouts from protesters.
In the video, one masked agent smashes Rahman’s passenger side window while others cut her seatbelt and drag her out of the car. Numerous guards then carried her towards an ICE vehicle.
“I’m disabled trying to go to the doctor,” Rahman said, as officers pulled her arms behind her back.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security disputed Rahman's account, asserting that she ignored commands to move her vehicle. Rahman was among several individuals detained, classified by the department as agitators, one of whom was alleged to have assaulted an officer.
Barrage of viral videos draw scrutiny
The video of Rahman’s arrest is just one of numerous recordings that have surfaced recently, illustrating similar aggressive tactics employed by federal officers during immigration enforcement actions.
Common themes persist across these videos: protests involving loud whistles and shouting, ICE officers forcibly pulling individuals from various locations, and the use of pepper spray against protesters.
In a similar incident, a heavily armed immigration agent was filmed using a battering ram to access residential property without warrant, prompting outrage.
Individuals such as nurse Monica Bicking are now carrying whistles for protection against ICE, reflective of a community under pressure.
“We’re hypervigilant every time we leave our houses,” Bicking said, pointing to the changing climate of fear among citizens and immigrants alike.
‘I thought I was going to die’
Post-arrest, Rahman expressed profound relief at her survival. She described a harrowing experience of being treated inhumanely while in custody.
Despite repeated requests for medical attention, she was initially taken to a detention center where she later lost consciousness. Rahman was eventually hospitalized for her injuries and expressed gratitude towards the medical staff who assisted her.
“They gave me hope when I thought I was going to die,” Rahman reflected.
