An Edina woman, who is a Somali U.S. citizen, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and reportedly held in custody for over 24 hours at the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River. The incident occurred near Nicollet Mall while she was running an errand.
According to credible sources, the woman was abruptly confronted by multiple ICE agents who exited a vehicle and zip-tied her. She was too afraid to speak out, but her cousin, who wishes to remain anonymous, revealed the distressing details. “She pleaded with them, but they ended up sexually assaulting her, making comments like, ‘What could you be hiding under your hijab?’” he stated. He explained that the agents made jokes about her hijab, claiming it was a trick to evade them. “This gives me a lot of anxiety and stress because this is my family, and I call Minnesota home,” he added.
The woman was released only after her husband presented her passport, confirming her status as a U.S. citizen. Her cousin, a paralegal at a Golden Valley law firm, expressed deep concern over the incident.
Immigration lawyer describes the arrest as extremely alarming.
Her cousin’s boss, who is an attorney and does not represent her, stated, “First and foremost, ICE does not have jurisdiction over U.S. citizens. For them to detain a U.S. citizen for over 24 hours without cause is truly terrifying; it’s the kind of thing we see happening in third-world countries and authoritarian governments.”
In response to the allegations, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated on Friday that it could not comment on the incident without further information. The case has raised significant concerns about the treatment of U.S. citizens by ICE and the implications of such actions on the community.
Adurus Abdi said that he is deeply concerned about the safety of the women in this community in the wake of the sexual assault allegation by
Aidurus Abdi, a Somali community leader, expressed his sadness regarding the incident, stating, “Today, I was very saddened to hear about the distressing events involving a Somali woman who is a U.S. citizen who was zip-tied while shopping in Edina. She was subjected to racial slurs. Additionally, she faced the most horrific violation a woman can endure—she was sexually assaulted by a group of men with guns who identified themselves as ICE agents, and this occurred while she was in detention, despite her being a U.S. citizen.” He further emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting, “This is a terrible turn of events, especially considering that just two weeks prior, an ICE agent was arrested in Bloomington for soliciting a 17-year-old for prostitution in an operation called ‘Operation Weirdo.’ A lot of these ICE agents have been sworn in relatively quickly, and not all of them have been vetted. All communities are at potential risk.”
Abdi also highlighted the disheartening rhetoric from leaders, saying, “It is particularly disheartening that our own president uses racial slurs, like calling us ‘garbage.’ This is an insult to justice and basic human dignity. These actions reflect those of an authoritarian government. We must not allow this to happen; we must rise up and protest for her human dignity and the dignity of all people. We must protest against these heinous actions.”
