Viral Video Shows Federal Agents Drag U.S. Citizen From Her Car During Minneapolis Immigration Sweeps

A viral video showing federal immigration agents dragging a U.S. citizen, Aliya Rahman, from her car in Minneapolis has renewed scrutiny of a widescale enforcement operation in the city. Rahman says she was headed to a Traumatic Brain Injury appointment when masked agents smashed a window, cut her seatbelt and pulled her from the vehicle; she says she was denied medical care, lost consciousness in custody and was later treated for injuries her lawyers describe as consistent with assault. The Department of Homeland Security disputed her account, calling her an 'agitator' who ignored commands.

Dragged From Her Car

Rahman says the encounter occurred as she approached an intersection near the Traumatic Brain Injury Center. Video of the incident shows agents shouting commands over the din of whistles, car horns and protesters' screams. A masked agent appears to smash the passenger-side window while others cut her seatbelt and remove her from the vehicle through the driver's side door. Several officers then carry her toward an ICE vehicle by her arms and legs.

'I'm disabled trying to go to the doctor up there, that's why I didn't move,' Rahman says in the recording as officers take her arms behind her back.

In an emailed statement, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Rahman was one of several 'agitators' who ignored repeated orders to move away from the scene. The department said she was arrested along with six others it described as agitators; one of them was accused of jumping on an officer's back. DHS did not specify whether charges were filed or answer questions about Rahman's claim that she was denied medical care while detained.

A person is detained by federal agents near the scene where Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Other Viral Footage And Public Scrutiny

The clip of Rahman's arrest is one of many recordings circulating online that document an intensified federal enforcement presence in Minneapolis. Several videos show agents breaking vehicle windows, using pepper spray on protesters, detaining people in public places and forcibly entering homes. One recording appears to show heavily armed agents using a battering ram to break down a residence where a 9-year-old child was inside; another shows ICE and Border Patrol officers detaining two Target employees in Richfield who were later released.

Witnesses have posted footage of confrontations, including a video captured by nurse Monica Bicking that appears to show an agent kneeling on a man's head multiple times while other agents hold him facedown on pavement. Local residents report heightened anxiety and describe carrying whistles or altering routines to avoid encounters with federal officers.

Medical Treatment And Aftermath

Rahman says she repeatedly requested medical attention while in custody and was taken to a detention facility instead. She says she later lost consciousness in her cell and was eventually transported to a hospital, where her attorney says she received treatment for injuries consistent with assault. Rahman has since been released from the hospital and expressed gratitude to emergency department staff for their care.

Questions Remain

The videos and conflicting accounts have prompted calls for transparency about the federal operation — including the scope of arrests, the presence of arrest warrants in home raids, the handling of bystanders and U.S. citizens, and the medical care provided to detainees. Local officials and community members describe the deployment as a heavy-handed action that has unsettled neighborhoods across the city.