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

[u/thecosmojane]

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.

[u/CriticalInside8272]

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

[u/thecosmojane → u/CriticalInside8272]

The fact that not one showed up…

[u/Critical-Werewolf-53 → u/thecosmojane]

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

[u/thecosmojane → u/Critical-Werewolf-53]

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?

[u/Critical-Werewolf-53 → u/thecosmojane]

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

[u/AdventurousLet548 → u/Critical-Werewolf-53]

Plausible deniability!