Aliya Rahman, a U.S. citizen and social justice trainer, has filed a federal tort claim against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over her treatment during an arrest by ICE agents in Minneapolis on January 13th.
Key Takeaways
Aliya Rahman has filed a federal tort claim against DHS for excessive force during her arrest by ICE agents in Minneapolis. She was allegedly on her way to a doctor's appointment when she was violently pulled from her car and denied medical care.
- Aliya Rahman files Federal Tort Claims Act suit against DHS, CBP, and ICE
- Claim alleges excessive force, unlawful arrest, denial of medical treatment during January 13th incident
- Video shows officers dragging autistic woman with traumatic brain injury from her car
- DHS disputes claims, accuses Rahman of impeding law enforcement operations
- Legal team plans lawsuit if claim is not resolved within six months
According to CBS News, Rahman was allegedly on her way to a doctor's appointment when she was violently pulled from her black Ford Fusion by masked officers after ignoring demands to leave the scene of a protest. Video of the arrest, which went viral, shows Rahman crying out, 'I'm disabled, I'm trying to go to the doctor up there,' as officers dragged her into a federal vehicle.
The claim alleges that Rahman was subjected to excessive force and unlawfully arrested during what ICE called “Operation Metro Surge.” Her legal team argues she suffered a 'brutal assault and unjust and inhumane detention' while being held in the federal Whipple facility, where she was denied medical care. According to The Daily Mail, Rahman is autistic and had previously sustained a traumatic brain injury.
Rahman's attorneys claim agents gave her misleading instructions, yelling at her to both drive away from protesters and agents while ordering her to get out of the vehicle. The claim also alleges that she was denied medical treatment after her arrest, leading to slurred speech, blurry vision, and ultimately passing out in her cell.
A DHS spokesperson disputed the claims, stating that Rahman impeded law enforcement operations by not driving away from the scene on East 34th Street. The spokesperson also denied allegations that Rahman was denied medical care, calling such claims 'FALSE' and accusing Rahman of smearing federal agents.
Rahman's legal team intends to pursue a lawsuit if the government does not respond within six months or disputes the claim. According to The HuffPost, Rahman testified before Congress in February about her assault and detention, where her requests for medical care were ignored until she fell unconscious. She was also arrested during President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in February after standing up in silent protest.
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