“They Called Us Bodies”: Disabled U.S. Citizen Ali Rahman Testifies on ICE Assault and the Dehumanizing Horror of the Whipple Center

In a testimony that has reverberated through the halls of Congress and across social media, Ali Rahman, a resident of South Minneapolis and a Bangladeshi American, shared a harrowing account of survival, assault, and systemic dehumanization at the hands of federal immigration agents. Ali, who lives with autism and a traumatic brain injury (TBI), was never a target of an investigation, was never charged with a crime, and was never read his rights. Yet, exactly three weeks ago, he found himself at the center of a “terrible violation” that has left him physically impaired and mentally scarred. His testimony, delivered before a Congressional panel, serves as a devastating indictment of the practices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and specifically the Whipple Center in Minnesota.

The Encounter: “Move, or I Will Break Your Effing Window”

The nightmare began on January 13th, as Ali was driving to his 39th appointment at the Hennepin County Traumatic Brain Injury Center. He encountered a traffic jam caused by ICE vehicles with no signage indicating how to navigate the blocked intersection . After an agent yelled, “Move, I will break your effing window,” Ali rolled down his window to comply. What followed was a chaotic scene of conflicting threats and instructions that his autistic brain struggled to process while trying to watch for pedestrians .

Without warning, the passenger-side window was shattered, showering Ali with glass. As hands grabbed at him, he screamed, “I’m disabled,” to which an agent reportedly responded, “Too late” . In a moment of pure terror, an agent pulled a large combat knife in front of Ali’s face—not to harm him directly, but to slice off his seatbelt before dragging him from the vehicle. Ali was thrown face-first onto the pavement, just four blocks away from where George Floyd was killed .

“Bodies”: The Language of Dehumanization

Perhaps the most chilling aspect of Ali’s testimony was his description of the atmosphere inside the Whipple Center. He recounted seeing black and brown “bodies” shackled and chained together, being marched by shouting agents . Crucially, Ali noted that “bodies” was the specific term used by agents to refer to the human beings in their custody.

“We’re bringing in a body,” Ali recalled hearing. “Where do I put them? We can’t use that room, there’s already a body in there” . Ali explained that when you are referred to as a “body” rather than a person, the expectation of making it out alive begins to fade. This language of dehumanization sets the stage for the medical neglect and mockery that Ali would soon endure.

Medical Neglect and Mockery

Despite his visible injuries and repeated statements regarding his TBI and autism, Ali received no medical screening upon entry. When his speech began to slur due to the stress and physical trauma, he was denied a communication navigator. Instead, agents allegedly laughed as he tried to immobilize his own neck in pain

The abuse took a physical turn when Ali asked for his cane and was told “no.” Agents prodded him forward in leg irons, mockingly saying, “Walk, you can do it, walk” . When he was finally placed in a wheelchair for interrogation, an agent taunted him, saying, “You were driving, right? So your legs do work” ]

For over an hour, Ali pleaded for emergency medical care as his vision blurred and his heart rate skyrocketed. His pleas were ignored until he blacked out on the cell floor. The last thing he remembers is his cellmate desperately banging on the door for a medic, only to be told by a voice outside, “We don’t want to step on ICE’s toes” .

The Aftermath and a Duty to the Silenced

Ali awoke in the Hennepin County Emergency Room, where he learned he was being treated for “assault”—injuries sustained during his encounter with the federal agents . While he has returned home, the impact on his life has been severe. He currently cannot lift his arms normally and faces ongoing physical and mental health challenges.

Despite his ordeal, Ali remains resilient. He concluded his testimony by stating that he does not deserve more humane treatment than anyone else, regardless of their citizenship status. He feels a “duty to the people who have not had the privilege of coming home” to share these “horrific practices” so they might finally end .

“We call ourselves a civilized nation,” Ali said, “but we lack rules and accountability around what a person claiming to be law enforcement is permitted to do to another human being”. His story is a powerful call for change and a reminder that behind the bureaucratic labels and the dehumanizing language are real people with families, disabilities, and a right to dignity.