MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Federal authorities on Wednesday arrested a U.S. citizen in downtown Minneapolis and mocked her hijab, the woman’s cousin said.
Edina-born Somali woman arrested in immigration crackdown
What we know:
The woman was arrested while running an errand near Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. Her cousin said she was confronted by multiple federal agents, who zip-tied her and brought her to the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River.
He also said the agents mocked her hijab and touched her inappropriately. The woman was released on Thursday after more than 24 hours in custody. She was let go after her husband showed authorities her passport card, proving her citizenship, he said.
The woman was too shaken up to speak publicly, he said.
What they’re saying:
“‘What could you be hiding under your hijab?’ and stuff like that. And then they even made a joke, saying, ‘This would be the wrong attire to try and run away from us in,’” he said of his cousin’s interaction with federal authorities. “I feel upset. Obviously, it brings me a lot of anxiety and stress because this is my family, and I call Minnesota home.”
He did not want to give his name because of his own immigration status as a documented immigrant from Somalia.
Immigration attorney calls arrest ‘truly terrifying’
Dig deeper:
The woman’s cousin works as a paralegal at a law firm in Golden Valley, where his boss is an immigration attorney. She does not represent the woman who was arrested.
Legal reaction:
“First and foremost, ICE doesn’t have jurisdiction over United States citizens. So, for them to detain a U.S. citizen for over 24 hours at a detention facility for no reason is truly terrifying,” said Evangeline Dhawan-Maloney. “It’s the kind of thing that we see happening in Third World countries and authoritarian governments.”
The response:
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday said it could not comment on the incident without additional information.
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