Aliya Rahman v. DHS: Disabled Woman Dragged from Car Files Claim over Violent Arrest in Minneapolis
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This is democracyow democracynow.org.
3 seconds
I'm Amy Goodman. We end today's show with Minneapolis resident Aliyia Raman. On Thursday, along with her legal team,12 seconds
Aliyia filed a tort claim against the Department of Homeland Security over her treatment at the hands of ICE officers19 seconds
in January. When she was on her way to the doctor, instead came upon a street blocked by federal agents. Her window27 seconds
was
smashed, her seat belt cut. She was violently pulled out of her car.
Alia describes some of what happened next in testimony before Congress
in February.39 seconds
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.49 seconds
I now cannot lift my arms normally. I was never asked for ID,59 seconds
never told I was under arrest,1 minute, 3 seconds
never read my rights, and never charged with a crime.1 minute, 8 seconds
Alia
Ramen was brought to an ICE jail inside Minneapolis's Whipple Federal
Building where she was denied medical care. She eventually fell
unconscious,1 minute, 19 seconds
woke up at a hospital in February. She attended President Trump's State of the1 minute, 26 seconds
Union address as a guest of Minneapolis Congress member Ilhan Omar. Alia was1 minute, 33 seconds
violently removed from the gallery and spent several hours in jail, all for1 minute, 40 seconds
silently challenging Trump during his speech, challenging him by standing up1 minute, 47 seconds
quietly. Meanwhile, Republican members of Congress and the Senate were standing up, cheering, sitting down, standing up,1 minute, 55 seconds
si sitting down, cheering. She just stood up quietly before she was taken out. We're joined now by Ali Ramen in2 minutes, 4 seconds
Minneapolis. We're also join joined by her attorney, Jessica Gingold, senior counsel at the MacArthur Justice Center.2 minutes, 11 seconds
Um she's joining us from Chicago. We welcome you both to Democracy Now. Alia,2 minutes, 17 seconds
uh we have followed you on this journey after you were ripped out of your car.2 minutes, 24 seconds
um after you were arrested in Minneapolis there uh and then when you were taken out of the um House chamber2 minutes, 34 seconds
when President Trump was giving his State of the Union address. Can you talk about the claim you're f you're filing?2 minutes, 45 seconds
I can. So, this is an FTCA claim that I will let Jessica talk about the kind of2 minutes, 51 seconds
legal details of. Um, and it is the tool that is available to me. Um, so I am2 minutes, 59 seconds
doing this because this is a tool for accountability that someone like me can actually use against an ICE officer. And3 minutes, 6 seconds
the
American public has not seen any more accountability for the
militarized violence enacted on our own people at the hands of DHS than
we have for the3 minutes, 14 seconds
violence
in the war. you've spent much of this show talking about. Um, and I'm
doing this because in the months since I first walked into this studio,3 minutes, 26 seconds
you know, we have not only not seen accountability, but we've seen ICE wage disinformation campaigns against its3 minutes, 33 seconds
victims. And we've seen this agency seek to expand in the United States, buying warehouses to house people and3 minutes, 41 seconds
auditioning for a role in everyday life at our airports, at Marine Corps graduations. Um, trying to be3 minutes, 48 seconds
normalized. And to me, it is not normal to have an agency that is unaccountable for killing people handing out water at3 minutes, 56 seconds
the airport. The same agency that weaponizes thirst at the border. I don't want to see these people at the polls.4 minutes, 3 seconds
So,
for me, talking about this to the American public, talking about the
type of claim that I hope Jessica will help me with a bit here, um my
hope is that4 minutes, 11 seconds
Americans can see that we have an option that might someday make mass acts of racial violence seem too expensive for4 minutes, 20 seconds
these folks, even if they don't share our values.4 minutes, 25 seconds
Jessica Gingold, explain exactly what this claim is and would you describe it as suing the federal government.4 minutes, 34 seconds
I would describe it as the first step in suing the federal government and thank you Amy for having us on today. An FTCA4 minutes, 41 seconds
claim is our tool for accountability. Um it is a basically we file a complaint with the4 minutes, 49 seconds
agency uh that details what they did to her and how that harmed that her. They have six4 minutes, 57 seconds
months
to respond to us and after those six months we can then go to federal
court which we have every intention of doing. The law underlying this is
a is5 minutes, 6 seconds
Minnesota tors. Um, so these are just we're just saying simple things like what they did was wrong and they should5 minutes, 13 seconds
be held legally accountable. They battered Aliyah. They assaulted Aliyah.5 minutes, 18 seconds
They
were negligent in their medical care for Alia. All of those things are
illegal and this is our tool for making sure that they have to pay for
that.5 minutes, 30 seconds
I mean what you have been through Aliyia um your the video went viral of what5 minutes, 37 seconds
took place. I hate to make you relive this but um it is so shocking what took place when you were away on your way to5 minutes, 46 seconds
a doctor's appointment. Can you explain once again what happened and then take us on this journey because then you went5 minutes, 53 seconds
to
the State of the Union as a guest of your congress member of Ilhan
Omar. But start in that car. The immigration agent smashed your window.6 minutes, 6 seconds
They did. Uh my driver's side window was actually open for them to use to open the car if they needed to. Um but yes,6 minutes, 13 seconds
uh they smashed my passenger side window and yelled uh to both get out of the car and drive. Um so I was taken out of that6 minutes, 21 seconds
car. Um you can see details um for those watching in the complaint um that we have made available u pieces of that for6 minutes, 29 seconds
for the press to look at. Um and so I was taken to the Whipple Center. Uh the whole time I was telling them that I am6 minutes, 37 seconds
a disabled person. I had been on my way to my 39th appointment at the traumatic brain injury clinic here in Hampton6 minutes, 43 seconds
County. Um, I was not given the disability accommodations I needed.6 minutes, 48 seconds
Instead
of a mobility aid like my cane or wheelchair, I was dragged around by
my shoulders until I finally was able to get a wheelchair and eventually
went6 minutes, 54 seconds
unconscious from assault wounds in my cell. I was removed from the detention center unconscious7 minutes, 2 seconds
um
by ambulance. I woke up in the emergency room in Henipin County uh
hospital, the one I was actually trying to go to that day. Um and it
absolutely has been a journey since then. You know,7 minutes, 12 seconds
I'm not someone who even likes my picture taken or posts on social media.7 minutes, 17 seconds
Um, but it became clear very quickly that this had gone viral and to me that put a responsibility in my lap and so7 minutes, 25 seconds
really
the next thing was that I was asked to testify in Congress about what I
saw inside detention about the experience uh on the street that you've7 minutes, 32 seconds
mentioned and and really people saw that video. But what was important to me was to realize that I had actually made it7 minutes, 40 seconds
out of detention. I was able to come home. I speak English and people want to hear my story and that is not the case.7 minutes, 45 seconds
None
of those factors are the case for so many folks who have suffered at
the hands of DHS and frankly who suffer in our prisons every day. So I
said yes to7 minutes, 54 seconds
testifying in Congress and since then my life has been full of harassment, full of targeting. It's also been full of8 minutes, 1 second
support and asks from people I don't even know to fight. Um so I was invited to the State of the Union and you know8 minutes, 9 seconds
there
isn't really much more to the story than what you've said, right? I um
had stood up and uh sat down a number of times that night just like you
would see8 minutes, 17 seconds
any
congressperson do uh down below the folks the guests in the gallery do
the same thing. Um, I was arrested and ultimately, you know, the courts
said8 minutes, 26 seconds
that they there was nothing they really could charge me for. Uh, because again,8 minutes, 30 seconds
no sign, no sound, not blocking anyone's view or the hallway. um you know and uh8 minutes, 37 seconds
you
know yes thanks for having us back and I'm so happy to be here in this
circumstance because uh the night that I was held uh overnight in
Capitol police8 minutes, 46 seconds
headquarters
they essentially you know uncuffed me from the wall discharged me I ate
three slices of bread and I came into your studio to talk to you in the8 minutes, 55 seconds
same outfit I was in the night before because I don't believe these things can stand we can't have this.9 minutes, 4 seconds
So
when you were in the car and they dragged you out, you were shouting,
"I am disabled. I am disabled." And the agent said to you, "Too late.
Too late."9 minutes, 16 seconds
This was in the car in Minneapolis.9 minutes, 21 seconds
Yeah,
Jessica's confirmed for me that they actually said too effing late. I
won't say the real phrase because I know we can't do that here live. Um,
put9 minutes, 29 seconds
Yeah. grabbed my body and dragged me out. Um, and so, you know, and yet it looks like they actually escalated. Taken out,9 minutes, 37 seconds
you
were also taken out of the gallery as you stood up and sat down like so
many hundreds of people in the House chamber at the State of the Union.9 minutes, 47 seconds
Yes. And in the gallery, you know,9 minutes, 49 seconds
because
you're not allowed phones in there, so we don't have video, but there
were actually at least four people who attempted to intervene in the way
I was9 minutes, 56 seconds
being
handled. a doctor who was familiar with my case, Dr. Nita Patel was up
there, an attorney who said, "I really have some questions about what
I'm seeing, a pastor, a community organizer,10 minutes, 8 seconds
and they were all told that if they tried to accompany me, they would also be dragged out."10 minutes, 16 seconds
Ali Ramen, I thank you for being with us. Minneapolis resident who's filed an FTCA complaint. That's a Federal TOR Claims10 minutes, 24 seconds
Act complaint. um uh with the Department of Homeland Security over her violent arrest by federal immigration agents and10 minutes, 33 seconds
Jessica Gingold's senior counsel at the MacArthur Justice Center. Thanks both for joining us. And that does it for10 minutes, 41 seconds
today's show. I'll be appearing at screenings of the new documentary about Democracy Now, Steal This Story, Please,10 minutes, 51 seconds
here on the West Coast over the next week. It's continuing to play at the IFC in New York. Today at 1:10 and at 710,11 minutes, 2 seconds
I'll be at the Lemley Royal uh in West Los Angeles at a benefit for Pacifica11 minutes, 8 seconds
radio station, KPFK. Um the evening may be sold out, but walkups are welcome at11 minutes, 15 seconds
the 110 benefit screening. There'll also be a dinner benefit before the 710 uh screening of Steal the Story, Please.11 minutes, 23 seconds
And I'll be doing uh the Q&A after the film with uh the co-director of Steal11 minutes, 30 seconds
the
Story Please, Carl Deal. On Saturday through Wednesday, I'll be in the
San Francisco Bay area with postscreening Q&As's at the Roxy, San
Francisco's11 minutes, 39 seconds
Mission
District, the Arialto Elmwood in Berkeley, the Smith Rafale Film Center
in San Rafel, the Rialto Cinema Sebastapole, and beyond. You can go to11 minutes, 48 seconds
democracynow.org and see all the places I'll be. I look forward to seeing folks there. This is11 minutes, 55 seconds
Democracy Now. I'm Amy Goodman in Los Angeles.12 minutes
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