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“Being Somali isn’t just eating bananas with rice,” Ahmed told reporters.
“It’s like a cultural fusion. It’s kind of like the bananas and rice, you know? People don’t think you can eat bananas with rice, but that’s what it’s like to be Somali and American.”
The comments went viral almost instantly. Millions watched and shared the clip, with conservative commentators mocking the rambling explanation as another example of identity politics run amok. One post alone reportedly surpassed 22 million views in under a week.
But the laughter did not last.
Alleged Assault on Federal Agents
According to the Department of Justice, Ahmed was already under investigation when she held her now famous press conference.
Bondi confirmed that Ahmed was one of 16 individuals charged under federal law for assaulting, resisting, or interfering with federal officers performing official duties during the riots.
Footage cited by The Blaze allegedly shows Ahmed spitting directly in the face of a federal agent. Under federal law, spitting on an officer is considered assault.
Ahmed was taken into custody and processed at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling. She was later transferred briefly to Sherburne County Jail in Elk River before being released pending federal felony proceedings.
The press conference that made her famous reportedly occurred just days after the alleged incident.
Minneapolis Becomes Ground Zero
Ahmed’s arrest comes amid what federal officials describe as an unprecedented wave of violence against immigration officers in the Twin Cities.
The unrest followed President Trump’s launch of Operation Metro Surge, a massive enforcement effort deploying approximately 2,000 federal agents to restore order and target criminal illegal aliens.
Since the operation began, agents have faced sustained harassment and violence from organized protest groups.
Federal authorities confirmed one ICE agent suffered a partial finger amputation after being bitten by a protester during a riot that allowed a suspect with a serious criminal record to escape.
Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said that suspect remains at large due to interference from activists and political leaders.
Riots have included mobs throwing frozen water bottles and debris at federal buildings, coordinated noise campaigns outside hotels believed to house agents, and organized efforts to block enforcement operations.
Democrats Under Fire
Republican leaders argue the chaos is the direct result of Democratic leadership siding with rioters over law enforcement.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz publicly demanded ICE leave the state. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was captured on video angrily confronting federal agents and telling them to leave the city.
Democratic lawmakers filed lawsuits seeking to block ICE operations. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith demanded an end to Operation Metro Surge and pushed to defund immigration enforcement.
Critics say these actions emboldened violent protesters and undermined public safety.
Bondi Promises More Arrests
Bondi made clear that the arrests announced Wednesday are only the beginning.
“I am on the ground in Minneapolis today,” Bondi wrote on X Wednesday.
“Federal agents have arrested 16 Minnesota rioters for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement – people who have been resisting and impeding our federal law enforcement agents.”
“We expect more arrests to come. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law.”
The other suspects charged include Christina Rank, Abdikadir Noor, Madeline Tschida, Nitzana Flores, Helicity Borowska, Quentin Williams, William Vermie, Paul Johnson, Gillian Etherington, Joshua Doyle, Kirubele Adbebe, Margaret Sager, Ilan Wilson-Soler, Alice Valentine, and Matrim Charlebois.
All 16 appeared in federal court Wednesday and face charges that could result in prison sentences.
A Harsh Lesson
President Trump reportedly spoke with both Walz and Frey this week. While both Democrats described the conversations as productive, federal officials made clear that enforcement will continue.
Some agents are being repositioned, with Border Czar Tom Homan assuming direct oversight of operations.
The message from Washington is unmistakable. Cooperation is optional. The law is not.
Ahmed’s rise from viral figure to federal defendant happened in less than a week.
Her strange “bananas and rice” speech brought attention.
Her alleged decision to assault a federal agent may bring prison.
Social media fame does not grant immunity from federal law.
