A disabled Minneapolis woman, Aliya Rahman, was arrested at Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. The arrest comes after Rahman was dragged from her vehicle last month by ICE agents despite telling them she has a brain injury and is disabled. She attended the State of the Union address as a guest of Rep. Ilhan Omar.
During the address, Rahman stood with others as part of a silent protest. Federal officers forcibly removed her and charged her with “unlawful conduct” and disrupting Congress. Rahman had already sustained shoulder injuries during her January encounter with ICE agents. Despite communicating that to officers, she was detained without consideration for her disabilities.
Rep. Ilhan Omar condemned Rahman’s arrest. Her statement reads: “My guest, Aliya Rahman, stood up silently in the gallery during the president’s speech for a short period of time, part of which other guests were also standing. For that, she was forcibly removed, despite warning officers about her injured shoulders.”
Aliya Rahman, who was forcibly removed from her car by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is removed from the chamber during U.S. President Donald Trump#39;s State of the Union address. Photo by @SmileItsNathan and in Minnesota by Tim Evans pic.twitter.com/XZevmMCTex
— corinne_perkins (@corinne_perkins) February 25, 2026
According to a report by The Mirror US, Rahman was taken to a hospital for medical care and later charged with unlawful conduct. Omar criticized the “state of our democracy,” arguing Rahman was arrested for peacefully protesting. She has called for a full explanation of the arrest.
Capitol Police, however, said Rahman was removed for refusing to sit down and failing to obey lawful orders. Rahman could face up to six months in prison and a $500 fine for the misdemeanor charge. She responded that she was arrested for standing, saying attendees could either sit or stand during the State of the Union. She claimed others who were also standing were not arrested.
She also said she was not wearing any pins or buttons and was “much quieter” than the Republicans around her. Rahman, who has a torn rotator cuff, added that she was arrested “so physically.” Because of her injuries, she cannot move her arms. A sergeant intervened during her arrest, prompting officers to get a wheelchair and provide medical care. However, she said they did not stop tugging at her.
DHS assault survivor Aliya Rahman, a disabled Minneapolis resident, was dragged from Trump’s State of the Union, arrested, and jailed for hours simply for silently standing in protest, saying she was “arrested for standing up.”https://t.co/aOgoI1k1sH
— Truthout (@truthout) February 25, 2026
“The only reason I can think that they thought me standing silently there was a protest is because by this point my body, unafraid, even if broken, standing and looking at these people in their faces. Well, that must be a protest to you.” Rahman told Democracy Now after her release.
There has been a massive uproar on social media after Rahman was detained. One X user commented, “Another injustice and insult to her! I hope she sues Trump for one billion dollars.” The second one posted, “These people are beyond cruel.” There were some people who were confused about the situation. “Do you know why? I can’t find any reported reason. And I suspect when we hear one, it’ll be flimsy,” asked one concerned netizen.
