Somali woman claims she was 'kidnapped' by federal agents in Minnesota: 'I’ve survived ICE'
Nasra Ahmed, a 23-year-old US citizen, was arrested and detained by ICE. She was held for TWO DAYS.
— Minnesota House DFL (@mnhouseDFL) January 22, 2026
ICE agents handcuffed her, called her a racial slur, and she was knocked to the ground so hard she got a concussion.
This cannot continue happening. ICE needs to leave. pic.twitter.com/zDBgfqMRYI
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Nasra Ahmed, a 23-year-old Somali woman, claimed she suffered a concussion after she said she was "kidnapped and arrested" by ICE agents in Minnesota.
Ahmed, a US citizen, was arrested by ICE in the parking lot of an apartment complex in St Paul on January 14. Rejecting her claims, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Ahmed was arrested because she tried to stop federal agents.
Nasra Ahmed claims ICE agent called her a racial slur, used a lot of violence
Nasra Ahmed recently spoke publicly about her arrest by ICE. She shared her version of events and described the experience as very scary. According to her, the arrest happened in her neighborhood and led to her being jailed for two days in Sherburne County Jail.
During the press event, she included comments about identity, culture, bananas, and rice. “I am proud to say that I’ve survived ICE,” Ahmed said during a presser on Wednesday.
“I’m proud to say that I stood up for what is right! And people are saying — many people are saying, including my family and friends, that I will go down in history! And I will carry this on my shoulders! Here I am! Speaking in front of everyone and there’s cameras recording me and everyone is watching me right now," she added.
She didn’t stop there and went on to describe what she claims happened during the arrest. “I got kidnapped by ICE. They came to my neighborhood, they took me, arrested me, and detained me for two days. An ICE agent called me a racial slur,” she said.
Ahmed also claimed she was mistreated and injured during the encounter. “ICE asked to see my ID and decided it was nice to be racist and say really nasty things to me. They pushed me hard, they used a lot of violence, I got a concussion. I was screaming, I was crying, I was so scared. I’ve never been arrested in my life,” she said.
Somali Nasra Ahmed: "Being Somali is more than just eating bananas & rice, it's a lot, it’s interesting, it's kind of like bananas & rice. You can eat bananas and rice.”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 23, 2026
My word. Quality Learing Center level education on full display.
pic.twitter.com/lvnAkVAF0E
She also spoke about her Somali identity, using food as an example. “I’m proud to be Somali. To me, being Somali isn’t just eating bananas with rice. It’s a lot. It’s an interesting thing."
"It’s very hard to describe what it means to be Somali and what it means to be American but it’s like a cultural fusion. It’s kind of like the bananas and rice, you know?” she said.
DHS responds to Nasra Ahmed’s statement
Nasra Ahmed, 23, was walking through the parking lot of her aunt’s St. Paul apartment complex when she found herself surrounded by a dozen agents. Ahmed, born in the USA, says she showed them her I.D. She was forcefully detained and jailed anyway for more than two days.… pic.twitter.com/nRgRFQBbPX
— Frederick Melo, Reporter/Axolotl (@FrederickMelo) January 18, 2026
After several videos and photos of the incident spread online, the story quickly gained attention on social media. To clear up what happened, the DHS stepped in and shared its version of events.
In a brief statement, DHS rejected Ahmed’s claims and said the arrest was lawful. The agency stressed that violence against law enforcement will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
"Secretary Noem has been clear: anyone - including US citizens - who assault law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Assaulting law enforcement is a felony and a federal crime," the DHS said in a statement, as per Fox9 News.
