Dodge County Sheriff Files $1 Million Defamation Lawsuit Over False ICE Detention Claim

S. citizen from Illinois, and others. The suit seeks damages of no less than $1 million per defendant, including 10 unnamed individuals. S.

Naqvi gained national attention last month when she and supporters publicly stated she was unlawfully detained. According to the claims, after arriving at Chicago O’Hare International Airport from a work trip to Turkey on the morning of March 5, 2026, she was held for nearly 30 hours at the airport.

She was then reportedly transferred to an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, and later to Dodge County Jail in Wisconsin.

Supporters shared screenshots purportedly showing Naqvi's location at the jail and held a media conference on March 8, 2026, to denounce the alleged incident. One statement during the conference described a 28-year-old woman left on the street by ICE in another state without her property.

The claims further stated she was released in the early hours of March 7, 2026, and hitchhiked nine miles to a hotel where family met her.

Government Response and Evidence The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described the claims as false and released surveillance footage from the airport.

The footage shows Naqvi entering a secondary inspection zone on March 5, 2026, and leaving about one hour later. > "Ms.

" — Department of Homeland Security (New York Post) The Dodge County Sheriff's Office reported no record of Naqvi being booked, detained, or released at the jail. During a press conference on Friday, officials from the office presented evidence including a hotel bill and text messages to detail Naqvi's activities. m.

on March 5, 2026, about 10 minutes from the airport.

Details of Hotel Stay and Activities Text messages exchanged by Naqvi over the following days reference enjoying free food, spa services, and gym visits.

Examples include requests to use a card for food orders, to check out the gym, and to pay a spa provider. The witness in the messages also drove Naqvi to a nearby gas station in the early hours of March 7, 2026. Surveillance footage from the gas station shows Naqvi wearing the same clothes as in a later Facebook photo posted as a "reunited" image hours afterward.

The hotel folio records her checkout on the afternoon of March 8, 2026. Wisconsin authorities stated they could not bring criminal charges but are pursuing the matter through the civil lawsuit. The lawsuit requests a jury trial and cites reputational harm to the sheriff, particularly ahead of a 2026 re-election campaign.

The sheriff's lawyer stated the suit addresses a fabricated story pushed into the national spotlight without verification. Naqvi and other involved parties could not be reached for comment, and it is unclear if they have retained legal representation.

Broader Context and Next Steps This case involves allegations of false claims about interactions with federal immigration authorities, which drew media and public attention.

The Dodge County Sheriff's Office emphasized the need for accountability in spreading unverified information. The lawsuit may proceed to discovery, where additional evidence could be examined in court.