A viral arrest in Minneapolis has thrust a longtime social justice activist into the national spotlight, revealing a complex history of advocacy work and encounters with law enforcement.
Aliya Rahman, 42, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on Tuesday during operations targeting illegal immigrants in Minneapolis.
Video footage showing officers removing Rahman from her black Ford Fusion circulated widely on social media and garnered international media coverage.
Rahman, a United States citizen born in America, is a technology professional and social justice trainer who has dedicated significant portions of her life to LBGTQ and racial justice causes.
Her professional profile indicates she works remotely as a software engineering manager for a New Jersey-based real estate company while residing in Minnesota.
The incident marks the latest in a series of encounters Rahman has had with law enforcement over the years.
Public records obtained by the Daily Mail show she previously pleaded guilty to criminal trespassing charges in Ohio and has accumulated multiple traffic violations across several states.
Her first documented traffic offense occurred in 2009 when she faced charges for driving without insurance in Illinois.
The following year, Rahman was charged with driving under the influence in Ohio, to which she pleaded guilty according to state public records.
Additional convictions on Rahman’s record include following too close, stopping improperly at a stop sign, criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct.
These incidents span multiple years and jurisdictions throughout the Midwest.
A federal immigration enforcement officer opened fire on a Venezuelan national during a chaotic arrest attempt in Minneapolis Wednesday night, marking the second shooting involving ICE agents in the city within a week.
The incident unfolded around 6:50 p.m. local time when federal law enforcement officers initiated a targeted traffic stop on an illegal immigrant from Venezuela.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the individual had been released into the United States in 2022 under the Biden administration.
When officers attempted to execute the stop, the suspect fled the scene in his vehicle before crashing into a parked car.
He then abandoned the vehicle and continued to evade arrest on foot.
A pursuing officer caught up with the suspect and attempted to apprehend him.
At that point, the suspect began resisting arrest and violently assaulting the officer, according to federal authorities.
The situation escalated when two additional individuals emerged from a nearby apartment building.
These two people joined the initial suspect in attacking the federal agent with a snow shovel and broom handle.
During the three-on-one assault, the original suspect broke free from the officer’s grasp and began striking him with either a shovel or broomstick.
The Daily Mail recounted that the officer, now under attack from multiple assailants, discharged his weapon in self-defense.
The bullet struck the initial suspect in the leg.
He was transported to a local hospital where he remains in stable condition. The two accomplices who joined the assault were taken into custody by law enforcement.
The injured federal agent was also transported to a hospital for treatment after being violently attacked by the three individuals.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated the officer “feared for his life and safety as he was ambushed by three individuals.”
“The officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life,” McLaughlin said in a statement following the incident, per the Daily Mail.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey soon blasted ICE officials for “creating chaos” in his city.
Frey then urged protesters who had arrived at the scene to “go home,” warning them against “taking the bait.”
“For anyone who is taking the bait tonight: stop,” Frey said. “’It is not helpful. Go home. We cannot counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own chaos.”
“You are not helping the undocumented immigrants in our city, you are not helping the people who call this place home.”
