Aliyah Rahman disabled Minnesota resident pulled out of car by ICE
Executive summary
Video widely shared online shows Aliya (also reported as Aliyah/Aliya) Rahman — a Minneapolis-area U.S. citizen who identifies as autistic and says she has a traumatic brain injury — being forcibly pulled from her car by masked ICE agents during an operation on Jan. 13, 2026, while she says she was trying to get to a medical appointment; Rahman and multiple local outlets describe her as disabled and report she was dragged, pinned, and transported by ICE agents [1] [2] [3]. Federal officials defended the arrests as enforcement against people obstructing operations and said Rahman ignored commands, while Rahman and advocates say the force used against a disabled U.S. citizen was excessive and that she was denied care after detention [4] [1] [3].
1. What the footage shows and Rahman’s account
Multiple outlets reported and circulated the same graphic clip: masked ICE officers smash a passenger window, cut a seatbelt, yank Rahman from the driver’s side and carry her to an ICE vehicle as bystanders shout and she tells officers she is disabled and en route to a doctor [1] [5] [6]. Rahman has publicly said she is autistic, is recovering from a traumatic brain injury, and that she told agents she could need medical care; she also says she lost consciousness in custody and heard agents mock her while detained [1] [3] [5].
2. ICE and DHS version: obstruction and noncompliance
The Department of Homeland Security and ICE issued statements framing the detainment as part of a targeted operation in which crowds were “impeding law enforcement operations” and where individuals allegedly ignored multiple commands; DHS described some detainees as agitators and said arrests were made for assault or obstruction in the larger sweep [4] [1]. That official account is the stated rationale for the agents’ actions in this and related arrests, and it contrasts with Rahman’s account that auditory commands can be difficult for her to process because of autism and brain injury [3].
3. The broader context: tense ICE surge in Minneapolis
Rahman’s detainment occurred days after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis, an incident that heightened tensions, produced widespread protests, and led federal and local officials to publicly spar about tactics and rules of engagement — a context cited by several outlets as central to why the operation escalated and why footage provoked national outrage [4] [5] [7].
4. Medical and legal aftermath claims are contested
Rahman and some outlets reported she was denied medical attention while in custody and that she “felt lucky to be alive” after her release; she later testified about the episode at a congressional forum examining DHS use of force [1] [8] [6]. Reporting indicates she was not immediately charged in some accounts while DHS cited arrests for obstructing operations among many people detained during the sweep, and some outlets describe uncertainty about the specific charges against Rahman in the public record [2] [9].
5. How journalists and local communities are covering identity and motive
Profiles and local reporting emphasize Rahman’s background as a Bangladeshi‑American U.S. citizen, technology worker and activist, while some tabloid and international pieces dig into past run‑ins with the law and activism credentials — coverage that can shift focus from use‑of‑force questions to character or motive, a dynamic that advocacy groups say risks distracting from civil‑rights concerns raised by the video [7] [9] [10].
6. Gaps, contradictions and what remains unresolved
Open questions persist in the public record: federal statements describe obstruction and noncompliance as the basis for arrests but reporting documents Rahman’s disability-related explanation for slow response, and outlets differ on whether she was charged or the medical care she received in detention; reporting cites her congressional testimony but public charging or medical records have not been presented in the sources reviewed here [4] [1] [2] [8]. The available reporting documents the event and competing narratives but does not provide independent confirmation of every claim — for example, formal charging paperwork or DHS body‑cam logs have not been published in these sources [1] [3].
7. Why the case matters beyond one arrest
The clip crystallized broader debates about ICE tactics, the treatment of disabled people during law‑enforcement operations, and the federal‑local conflict after a deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis, prompting congressional testimony and sustained media scrutiny; that combination of visual evidence, disputed official explanations, and high local tensions is why Rahman’s detainment has become a flashpoint in national discussions about use of force and civil liberties [3] [8] [5].