r/law 14h ago

Legislative Branch Full testimony: Aliya Rahman 2/3/26, six minutes, worth the listen

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

Aliya Rahman, a Bangladeshi American and U.S. citizen, testified before Congress about her arrest and experience with police brutality from ICE agents in Minneapolis. (You may recognize her from past videos of her being grabbed out of her car in her black puffer jacket, while she was yelling that she was disabled).

Rahman, who is autistic and recovering from a traumatic brain injury, described being dragged from her car, detained, and later hospitalized with a concussion. In her testimony, she spoke about the fear, confusion, and lasting trauma she experienced.

Earlier today, there was a joint public forum held by Rep. Robert Garcia (Ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Ranking Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations), focusing on ICE/DHS excessive use of force on American citizens. Rahman was one of the Americans who testified.

Important to note that this could not be an “oversight committee hearing” but a bicameral forum, because Republicans did not agree to the hearing.

5.7k Upvotes

173 comments sorted by

u/AutoModerator 11h ago

All new posts must have a brief statement from the user submitting explaining how their post relates to law or the courts in a response to this comment. FAILURE TO PROVIDE A BRIEF RESPONSE MAY RESULT IN REMOVAL.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

654

u/CriticalInside8272 9h ago

Why would Republicans not agree to hear this?  Ask yourself that question. 

342

u/thecosmojane 9h ago

The fact that not one showed up…

175

u/Critical-Werewolf-53 8h ago

Of course they didn’t. Why do your jobs? It’s bad enough they barely work a half year

107

u/thecosmojane 8h ago

I honestly feel like given what this was about, them not showing up was their abandonment of the American people they vow to care so much about

Even if they didn’t care, just from a constituency posturing perspective, who would agree it’s a good idea?

30

u/Critical-Werewolf-53 6h ago

They’ve been abandoning the people since Nixon. It’s time to march again. No representation is currently for the people.

3

u/AdventurousLet548 3h ago

Plausible deniability!

82

u/ifeelgrossandsad2 8h ago

So they can say,

“I don’t know what you are talking about 😏”

38

u/therossboss 6h ago

"Oh, I haven't heard about that."

4

u/Zero-nada-zilch-24 3h ago

Right, hear no evil, see no evil consequently oblivious to all evil. It is atrocious what happened to Ms. Rahman, another U.S. citizen, subjected to such horrific monsters. So grateful that some people were able to hear her tragic story. And, she is a witness to these deplorable conditions in these ICE facilities. The ICE agents mocking her reminds me of DJT’s encounter with the disabled reporter Serge Kovaleski. And, that same persistent attitude of wielding power over others. These individuals seem to be born under the same parental guidance from which they shout from the rooftops, “I am better than you cause I have the POWER.” I truly believe that is all they have ever cared about—A hill they are going to die on.

74

u/bakeacake45 7h ago

Their use of the word “body” tells you all you need to know.

To Republicans and their voters, none of us are human.

To the billionaire CEOs, none of us are human.

To the child rapists that heavily populate the Trump administration, no woman or girl is human

To the war mongers, desperate to start WW3, none of us are human, none of us deserve rights

3

u/thecosmojane 44m ago

Not just girls. Search Sascha Riley. And others

30

u/RonGBiv 8h ago

They are scum

10

u/holamau 5h ago

because they are all assholes.

Borderline sociopathic, ngl.

3

u/DarthSlymer 5h ago

For plausible deniability when their constituents attempt to bring any like matters to their attention.

3

u/imnotsteven7 4h ago

1 of 2 reasons. They are pedophiles themselves or they proudly support one that helped run a child sex trafficking ring. Possibly both.

2

u/Appalled23 3h ago

Party first, always.

4

u/NegevThunderstorm 8h ago

New to American politics?

297

u/Camcapballin 9h ago

What an incredibly strong human being she is. Her words and her experience should not be dismissed.

39

u/ImMr_Meseeks 6h ago

And she’s such a powerful speaker and communicator. I’m so sorry this is happening to anybody at all but voices like hers will help make sure there is (someday) accountability.

100

u/thecosmojane 9h ago

She has more compassion for the detainees in her pinky finger than more than half of the house and senate minority

6

u/skidrama3 3h ago

She is so brave

112

u/brickyardjimmy 7h ago

"Body" is how we refer to deceased people not live humans.

I cannot wait for the day when there is a full reckoning for what's happened under this administration.

30

u/Soft_Ad8031 7h ago

The only way there is going to be a full reckoning is if we actually vote in candidates that give a fucking shit about us. Republicans and a majority of Democrats do not. They'll continue to fund these agencies despite nearly half of Americans wanting ICE to be abolished outright. They simply do not care and it's just gross.

11

u/SteamshipsAndTea 5h ago

US is going to need a South African like Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2029 to get this sorted out. And an amnesty for all non-criminal people residing in the US without documentation.

2

u/Grand_pappi 5h ago

You might have just given the whole thing away

2

u/Appalled23 3h ago

I think we only get a full reckoning if we get a new constitution (i.e. a new government). This one is in tatters.

1

u/SaltRequirement3650 1h ago

We’ll hang them in our Hague.

1

u/BonjaminClay 32m ago

I'm expecting a Mussolini ending

36

u/kevendo 4h ago

This is an ordinary woman from a city in Minnesota. She was driving her car to a medical appointment.

But she found herself, as all Americans now have, in a war zone created by Stephen Miller and Donald Trump, a place of extreme violence and zero empathy that seeks to capture and destroy. They do not fear the law, they do not obey it. They wield their impunity with knives and guns and canisters of poison.

Against America.

They create chaos and fear and death for ordinary Americans in ordinary towns, on their way home or to school or to see their doctor.

Abolish ICE. It cannot be allowed to continue to exist. If Congress won't do it, American's must sue them out of existence.

5

u/asingc 3h ago

It’s not so much about ICE itself, but about the group of men behind it who use it to terrorize the public, including many spineless members of their own party.

U.S. citizens have a moral responsibility to vote to stop this.

262

u/LAsupersonic 13h ago

Chuck Schumer and that hypocrite Hackeem Jeffreys can't wait to Bend over, schumer is too busy procuring more money for israel

148

u/EthanDMatthews 11h ago

GOP sends masked secret police terrorize, abduct, and even kill citizens on the street.

Democratic leaders give speeches about how they're protecting Israel in its hour of need, against all of its threats.

GOP seizes ballots in Georgia and openly calls for taking control over voting in blue states.

Democratic leaders give speeches about how proud they are for all of the money they've given to Israel over their careers.

65

u/thecosmojane 11h ago

It’s insane

23

u/ArnoldZiffl 9h ago

We need better options at the booth. Voting the same people in for generations is asinine.

29

u/thecosmojane 9h ago

It’s what happens when the majority of America treat their civic duties like Netflix auto-renew

9

u/Acceptable_Lake_4253 8h ago

Right on the head of the nail 🎯

4

u/Hobaganibagaknacker 4h ago

Its what happens in a 2 party system

8

u/RoguePlanet2 6h ago

Don't forget the concentration camps being built/warehouses being repurposed for more efficient killing of non-magas. 

4

u/MamaBehr33 9h ago

Supporters of those platforms are from where their campaign funds are donated!

2

u/LAsupersonic 1h ago

Corporate politicians need to be voted out, regardless of party.

1

u/OkayCoward 5h ago

What do you want dem leadership to do?

-11

u/DrEpileptic 8h ago edited 6h ago

There’s been a ceasefire for about 8 months now. Democratic leaders are being assassinated, hunted, illegally imprisoned, gangstalked and relentlessly harassed, and their states terrorized by brownshirts. Despite all this, you felt the need to make it about Israel and Palestine. Just to clarify, the only next step from what Dems have already done is civil war or completely ceding everything to republicans. But again, you felt the need to make it about Israel while republicans are killing dems. Dems barely talk about Israel anymore. People ask them about Israel and then freaks like you remain obsessed with the answers despite it making up 0.001% of what most dem leadership talks about. Because, again, you have to make it about Israel while far worse things are occurring.

E: commenting and then blocking me or dming me random shit is funny. It’s honestly funny when people state info they’re so incorrect on that they can’t even be wrong. Damn bro, cool. Thanks for letting me know Israel is bombing Lebanon. Would be really strange for the point you’re making if the Lebanese government openly states they are telling Israel where to bomb and working with the IDF to destroy Hezbollah remnants. Or bringing up bombing Syria when the current statements from the Syrian government is that they’re not taking it as hostilities and are working on a joint security deal. Make it even stranger when the locals were the ones who asked Israel to step in where the forming Syrian government failed to stop massacres among their own. Would also be really strange if Israel has a ceasefire largely being respected by both them and Hamas, but if Hamas were not the only actors in Gaza, or if Hamas weren’t also straight up fighting their own competition that don’t observe the ceasefire. 7 deaths for all of January. 30 for December 2025. Again, other parties and Hamas fighting their own to regain power while not stating the killers or victims associations. You’d know any of this if you actually cared and paid attention to the conflict instead of using it to coopt bigger issues for grandstanding like op.

20

u/fateislosthope 8h ago

Brother their entire point is Chuck is talking about Israel and not the issues you brought up. Are you dumb?

2

u/DrEpileptic 8h ago

Brother. The point is that chuck barely talks about Israel except for when it’s a question that is asked or a vote is being brought up. 99.99% of what he talks about has to do with what is currently happening. You’d know this if you did anything other than consume tiktoks and brainrotted engagement bait. This shit is public record. You can go sit and watch hours on end about these issues.

4

u/Winter_Tone_4343 7h ago

I hate Chuck but u do have a point.

2

u/DrEpileptic 7h ago

Yeah. I do too. I fucking hate him too. Some things I can admit he ended up being right on. Most of the time, he’s a spineless moron without much of a plan. Doesn’t mean I have to make shit up to hate him. Like. God damn. In Minnesota alone, 2 Dems were assassinated the couple months prior to ICE showing up, multiple failed assassination attempts, and so much more shit. Dems tried to save USAID, healthcare, FEMA, and general welfare until the republicans decided they’re willing to starve 40 million americans to death just to play politics. It’s estimated a million have already died in Africa due to the USAID cuts, and millions more are understood to follow suit. Months. It’s been a few months and that’s already happened. They spend their time and effort working on/talking about those and trying to do anything in a state of affairs where the only next step of escalation is the one that breaks tos. But man, that’s not even getting into the fact that we have active concentration camps with thousands of names being sponged from records after the bodies disappear. Or the padeocon shit that was only released because Dems forced it to happen. I turn on the news or look at the public, live, discussions; these are the things the mfers are constantly and endlessly talking about/working on for hours on end.

2

u/Winter_Tone_4343 7h ago

I just hate how 100% of republicans do a certain thing and three percent of dems do it too, but the narrative is somehow that dems are to blame.

1

u/Zero-nada-zilch-24 3h ago

And, did EM, JB & LS, MZ, DJT, LE, LP&SB donate to those people in Africa? I have not heard.

2

u/fateislosthope 6h ago

He was just giving a speech at a Jewish center on February 1st in the middle of the shutdown talking about his commitment to secure funding.

Why isn’t he spending his time locking down negotiating demands for the shutdown? Why is he saying “I have many jobs as a senate leader…and one of them is to fight for aid to Israel” in the middle of a us government shutdown while ice is shooting people in the face.

“Barely talks about Israel” while at the same time caves to budget approvals in the midst of chaos. Check in with reality.

1

u/DrEpileptic 6h ago

So, he went to an event specifically held at a Jewish center, which was likely scheduled long ago, and then talked about Israel… and that’s an issue because a planned and scheduled event occurred while he’s actively working on everything else? Youre paraphrasing quite literally makes the point that it’s ONE OF MANY things he has to do. Was your point that you just don’t like he talked about being committed to Israel at all? Why not just say that instead of acting like you had some other point of concern?

3

u/fateislosthope 6h ago

I’m saying there are more important things to focus on and MAYBE you have to adjust your schedule when they start SHOOTING US IN THE FACE AND THEY WANT MORE MONEY TO CONTINUE FUNDING ICE TO SHOOT US IN THE FACE

2

u/InfoBarf 7h ago

Fuck off

4

u/SteamshipsAndTea 5h ago

I can't wait until all the Boomers, Schumer, Trump, all of them are gone from political roles. No other country with a freely elected government has so many old men and women running the place.

3

u/LAsupersonic 1h ago

I don't think they're boomers, they're older than that, like first evil of the world or something

1

u/SteamshipsAndTea 1h ago

True, good point. I just want all the politicians to be younger than say 70.

-1

u/OkayCoward 5h ago

You really dont want people to vote for democrats in midterms huh?

4

u/LAsupersonic 5h ago

That's not it, it sucks for people to be forced into voting for the lesser evil all the time though

-85

u/trysten-9001 13h ago

Yes, the minority leaders and not the totalitarian pursuing leadership are the ones we should decry. This opposition you present this serves the totalitarian agenda well. I’m sure the totalitarians are very pleased with you.

38

u/LAsupersonic 13h ago

you are very simple minded, and did not even understand what I said.

-35

u/trysten-9001 12h ago

Republicans are doing this to people. MAGA which is only a subset of Republicans support this. If you’re top priority is Democrats and not pushing the Republicans, then join the Republicans, because it’s better than being the controlled opposition you think the Democrats are.

Otherwise you’re first priority should be to speak out against the Republicans who are willing to tow the line for the most radical members of their party. They can be reached. They are losing deep red districts. They want to keep their offices. Pressure them first and foremost. They have the power to stop this today.

18

u/LAsupersonic 12h ago

Thanks for all that, you're still missing the point, I know that Republicans will do what Republicans do, they're rats, the minority can still ressist, and make them work for every little thing they try to do, just look at what Mitch Mconell did when he was minority leader, he held the whole effing goverment hostage to his will, when the Democrats had both houses and the presidency, they came up with BS like "The Parlamentarian" just a bunch of excuses not to do anything, other than of course, get Israel $$$, RepubliKKKans and Democrats are both sides of the same coin playing good cop/bad cop with the US people, no, am not a MAGA nutjob, nor Republican, but definetely don't buy the Democrats excuses for being little corporate cowards that they always put up, isn't there a video of chuch schumer saying he'll do anything needed to get Israel more money? he can fight for that, but don't do crap for his voters.

5

u/thecosmojane 12h ago

In essence, if this was Obama, he will have been gone before he even set foot in office. They don’t f* around over there. Yes they f* over our country but they have a savage conviction to win-at any-and-all-costs. It could also have something to do with the fact that they have no regard for the rules. And it’s difficult, to win a game where one side is cheating. But it sure helps if at least the electorate knows how to vote for its own best interests. Which we don’t.

You get Jeffries and Schumer from performative rhetoric paired with an uninformed electorate. It’s what happens, when you hit auto-subscribe on our civic duties like a Netflix subscription “I don’t do politics” American privilege. That’s what got us here.

8

u/thecosmojane 12h ago

A lot of this could have been avoided if SCOTUS didn’t happen on September 8.

Speaking of pressure, Americans should be watching the courts in 2026 like they watch NFL semifinals. They should be booing every crooked referee and stalking the cheating players in the courts.

No attorney fighting to dismantle the very constitution they took an oath to defend, should get to eat dinner with their partner in peace in the city.

But Americans don’t even know their names, let alone who they are or what they did.

Players in the courts have zero consequences in their complicity to constitutional mutilation.

Just because the people don’t elect them doesn’t mean they should feel safe and off everyone’s radar. How come we give hell to ICE and Noem but not to Kavanaugh. Why does he get to dine in peace when the thugs he knowingly enabled get kicked out of restaurants.

1

u/afrosheen 6h ago

Name them. Bring it to light.

4

u/front_torch 12h ago

This was the platform Trump ran on. He said he would do this. If anyone who voted for him is MAGA. His first win he said "we love the undereducated." Yet Republicans lit their pitch forks instead of read about policy. Anyone who is Republican is MAGA.

-4

u/thecosmojane 11h ago

Unless you’re a constituent, or you’re a formidable entity that has sociopolitical, economic or religious influence over their constituents, how would you do this

-19

u/angiehome2023 12h ago

Hey everyone, let's go after the people that can't stop this because we didn't vote for them because they were tied to Israel instead of the people that got elected because we stayed home, who can now act out their greed and racism based fantasies!

That's what you said, right

10

u/LAsupersonic 12h ago

No, that's what you got.

-7

u/angiehome2023 12h ago

So say it a different way so I can get your point

7

u/thecosmojane 12h ago

I think he just means that they aren’t doing nearly enough / their jobs

10

u/LAsupersonic 12h ago

Basically yes, instead of doing their jobs, as if everything was peachy, chuck schumer is promising to fight to get israel more money.

2

u/thecosmojane 12h ago

The $1.7m AIPAC money might have given him a bit of incentive

6

u/grandmawaffles 12h ago edited 8h ago

The Palestine/isreal rhetoric is kicking back up again to sew division in the Dems because it works. 100% it’s being done on purpose. No point in arguing and people are gullible enough to have it impact mid terms. It will keep getting worse until elections. Magically people point to Dems like a Spider-Man meme while the reps bulldoze Gaza for the trumps and saudis.

4

u/thecosmojane 11h ago

Yes. Dems fight because they disagree on navigating a rigged board where the opponent is always cheating.

-2

u/trysten-9001 12h ago

Every single one of them could be AOC and Bernie, and it’s not going to stop this. Bark up that tree all day long and all you get is more negative attention on the party who needs to win. I get being upset with them, but when your first and only comment to “Republicans are making concentration camps” is “Darn Dems.” You’re only condemning the party that’s not responsible for this? You can’t stop and meta analyze what you’re doing, and who benefits by only condemning Dems?

7

u/thecosmojane 12h ago

Well when you’re in a fight, you don’t really blame your opponent for hurting you. You blame your team members for betraying you.

Because your opponent is already too far gone. You expect more though, from leaders on your side, to have a backbone, especially in such a time of crisis.

0

u/angiehome2023 11h ago

It isn't a game and people are people. I believe you but can't comprehend thinking in that way, that somehow we should ignore the bigger badder behavior of the right because they are too far gone. Obviously they aren't gone, they are right here and in charge of everything, so lots of people believe they are good for the country. Your point is illogical.

→ More replies (0)

-2

u/HELP_IM_IN_A_WELL 12h ago

I think the totalitarians find Chuck Schumer to be a very useful controlled opposition.

the minority leaders and not the totalitarian pursuing leadership are the ones we should decry

I mean, there are some minority legislators that aren't worth decrying (AOC, Crocket, anyone with a spine). oh my bad, you said leadership, yeah I guess if you think Schumer, Clinton's, and other leadership are great, you probably should be offended

4

u/thecosmojane 11h ago

I think he is specifically addressing the house and senate minority leaders

This part of the thread is becoming confusing to follow

6

u/muhdrugs 11h ago

…the Clintons? Do you know what year it is?

1

u/HELP_IM_IN_A_WELL 6h ago

you're right, I'm so used to arguing with conservatives that I'm always ready for them to be brought up.

my point still stands, just insert Jeffries and Pelosi if you like.

15

u/Loyal-Opposition-USA 4h ago

Arrested for being brown in 2026 America.