A dramatic video that has gone viral across the world shows U.S. federal immigration agents smashing a car window and forcefully dragging out a screaming woman in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The woman has now been identified as Aliya Rahman, 43, a respected software engineer, cybersecurity expert and longtime advocate for LGBT and racial justice causes.
In the chaotic footage captured on Tuesday, masked ICE agents are seen surrounding Rahman’s vehicle during a street protest. She repeatedly shouts that she is disabled and was only trying to reach a doctor’s appointment.
Agents broke the passenger-side window, unlocked the door and yanked her out as protesters screamed in outrage. She was quickly handcuffed and led away.
The incident happened as activists tried to block ICE vehicles during an immigration enforcement operation – just days after another woman, Renee Nicole Good, was fatally shot in a nearby confrontation with agents.
Who is Aliya Rahman?
Rahman describes herself on social media as “your friendly neighborhood deniable asset.” She is a Minneapolis-based “community-focused security practitioner” with a strong background in tech.
A certified cybersecurity professional with a master’s degree from Purdue University, she has worked as a full-stack developer and engineering manager. She previously taught at public schools on a Native American reservation in Arizona.
Her activism spans decades. Born in the U.S., Rahman moved with her family to newly independent Bangladesh after the 1971 liberation war. Growing up there exposed her to revolutionary struggles, including protests by female garment workers.
As a young child, she realized she was “definitely different” and later identified as genderqueer in a country where homosexuality remains criminalized. She returned to the U.S. for college.
The 9/11 attacks, which claimed the lives of two cousins, pushed her deeper into American social justice movements. She has since worked with groups like Black Lives Matter, Equality Ohio, Code for Progress and Wellstone – a progressive training organisation.
Rahman has long championed police body cameras and supported pro-Palestine causes. Her work blends 15 years of software development for social justice with organizing for racial and criminal justice reforms.
It remains unclear whether charges will be filed against her in this latest incident. Public records show minor past brushes with the law over a decade ago, including trespassing and driving offences.
The arrest has sparked fresh outrage over aggressive immigration enforcement under the new Trump administration, with critics questioning the use of force against protesters.
