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According to authorities, Ahmed was taken into custody following an altercation with federal agents. She was held for two days at the Sherburne County Jail before being released.
After her release, Ahmed held a press conference where she portrayed herself as a victim of abuse and mistreatment. Standing in front of cameras, she framed her arrest as a historic act of resistance.
“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!”
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Ahmed went on to accuse ICE agents of targeting her based on race and claimed she was forcibly detained without cause.
“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.
She further alleged that agents physically assaulted her during the arrest and claimed she suffered a head injury.
“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.
DHS has not confirmed any of those claims and instead maintains that Ahmed was arrested due to her own actions during the encounter. No body camera footage has been publicly released at this time.
What drew widespread attention online was not only Ahmed’s accusations, but also a portion of her remarks that many viewers described as rambling and incoherent.
During the press conference, Ahmed launched into a confusing monologue about cultural identity that quickly went viral on social media.
“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.
She continued the analogy moments later.
“People think you could eat bananas with rice,” she said.
The bizarre nature of the comments sparked mockery across social media, with critics questioning Ahmed’s credibility and mental state while others accused activist groups of exploiting the situation to attack federal immigration enforcement.
Supporters of ICE argue the incident highlights the growing hostility faced by federal agents who are tasked with enforcing immigration law. In recent months, DHS has warned that aggressive rhetoric and public harassment have made enforcement operations increasingly dangerous.
Secretary Kristi Noem and other DHS officials have repeatedly stated that assaults on officers will be met with prosecution regardless of the suspect’s immigration status.
As of now, Ahmed has not been charged with a hate crime allegation against ICE agents, while federal authorities continue to stand by their account of the arrest.
The case remains under investigation, but DHS officials say one thing is non negotiable. Assaulting federal law enforcement officers is a crime, and claims of victimhood will not change that reality.
