Aliya Rahman's Congressional Testimony on ICE Detainment and Abuse

Personal Account of Detainment

• 👤 Aliya Rahman, a disabled U.S. citizen with autism and a traumatic brain injury, recounts her forceful detainment by ICE agents on January 13th.
• ⚠️ She was on her way to a traumatic brain injury center appointment when she encountered a traffic jam caused by ICE vehicles.
• 🗣️ Conflicting and aggressive instructions from agents led to her car window being broken, and she was pulled to the ground.
• 🤕 Rahman explicitly stated her disability and brain injury, but agents continued the forceful detainment, using a combat knife to cut her seatbelt.

Treatment and Observations at Whipple Center

• ⛓️ Rahman describes witnessing black and brown individuals being shackled and marched by agents, who referred to them as "bodies."
• ❓ Agents demonstrated a lack of knowledge on how to perform basic tasks, and Rahman received no medical screening, phone call, or access to a lawyer.
• 🚫 She was denied a communication navigator when her speech slurred, and agents taunted her when she requested her cane or medical assistance.
• 🚑 Despite pleading for over an hour for emergency medical care due to blurry vision and unbearable pain, her requests were denied.

Broader Implications and Call for Accountability

• ⚖️ Rahman draws parallels between her experience and the deaths of Ganoa Donald and George Floyd, highlighting a pattern of violence against marginalized communities.
• 💔 She emphasizes the severe physical, mental, and financial impacts of DHS detention, asserting that no one deserves inhumane treatment.
• ✊ Rahman expresses distress over the lack of rules and accountability for law enforcement actions, particularly against Black and Indigenous communities and DHS survivors.
• 🗣️ She concludes with a strong spirit, committed to working on these issues even after ICE is gone, and highlights her duty to those who cannot tell their stories.