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Aliya Rahman, a Minneapolis resident who was violently detained by ICE officers in January during “Operation Metro Surge,” filed a federal tort claim against the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday, claiming the agency used excessive force and violated her rights. Rahman was never charged with any crime. “They battered Aliya. They assaulted Aliya. They were negligent in their medical care for Aliya,” says Jessica Gingold, one of Rahman’s attorneys. “All of those things are illegal, and this is our tool for making sure that they have to pay for that.”

Aliya Rahman was on her way to a doctor’s appointment when her route was blocked by ICE vehicles. Rahman’s window was smashed, and she was violently pulled out of her car. She told the officers she is disabled and autistic, but says they mocked her. Rahman was brought to an ICE jail, where she was denied medical care. She eventually fell unconscious and woke up at a hospital. “My hope is that Americans can see that we have an option that might someday make mass acts of racial violence seem too expensive for these folks, even if they don’t share our values,” says Rahman.

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman.

We end today’s show with Minneapolis resident Aliya Rahman. On Thursday, along with her legal team, Aliya filed a tort claim against the Department of Homeland Security over her treatment at the hands of ICE officers in January, when she was on her way to the doctor, instead came upon a street blocked by federal agents. Her window was smashed, her seat belt cut. She was violently pulled out of her car. Aliya described some of what happened next in testimony before Congress in February.

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ALIYA RAHMAN: I was carried face down through the street by my cuffed arms and legs while yelling that I had a brain injury and was disabled. I now cannot lift my arms normally. I was never asked for ID, never told I was under arrest, never read my rights and never charged with a crime.

ALIYA RAHMAN: I was carried face down through the street by my cuffed arms and legs while yelling that I had a brain injury and was disabled. I now cannot lift my arms normally. I was never asked for ID, never told I was under arrest, never read my rights and never charged with a crime.

AMY GOODMAN: Aliya Rahman was brought to an ICE jail inside Minneapolis’s Whipple Federal Building, where she was denied medical care. She eventually fell unconscious, woke up at a hospital.

In February, she attended President Trump’s State of the Union address as a guest of Minneapolis Congressmember Ilhan Omar. Aliya was violently removed from the gallery and spent several hours in jail, all for silently challenging Trump during his speech, challenging him by standing up quietly. Meanwhile, Republican members of Congress and the Senate were standing up, cheering, sitting down, standing up, sitting down, cheering. She just stood up quietly, before she was taken out.

We’re joined now by Aliya Rahman in Minneapolis. We’re also joined by her attorney, Jessica Gingold, senior counsel at the MacArthur Justice Center. She’s joining us from Chicago.

We welcome you both to Democracy Now! Aliya, we have followed you on this journey,........

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