OAN Staff Addie Davis and Brooke Mallory
12:21 PM – Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Wisconsin’s Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt filed a civil lawsuit against a woman named Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi, maintaining that she made false claims in relation to being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for nearly 40 hours and later jailed.
According to reports, the sheriff is calling her claims of being detained by ICE a “hoax” and is seeking $1 million in damages from her, as well as from Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, who supported her story.
“There is no record of booking, detention, or release involving Ms. Naqvi in Dodge County,” the sheriff’s office said in a Friday statement.
In early March, after returning from an overseas work trip, Naqvi — a U.S. citizen from Evanston, Illinois — claimed she was detained by ICE at Chicago O’Hare International Airport for more than 30 hours.
She further alleged that she was then transferred to an ICE detention facility in Illinois before ultimately being moved to Dodge County Jail, where she was later released.
On March 7th, Morrison, a left-wing Cook County commissioner who was running for Congress at the time, called for an anti-ICE protest at the Broadview Detention Center, where Naqvi — whom he described as a friend — was alleged to be held.
The following day, Morrison praised the hundreds of protesters who attended, saying their efforts helped secure Naqvi’s release, while also calling for accountability from ICE.
“We raised hell and we won. Now we want answers,” Morrison posted on March 8th.
The commissioner had also posted photos of Naqvi supposedly “reuniting” with her family after the “alleged” ordeal. “This is a 28-year-old girl just left on the street by ICE in another state, without her property,” Morrison said at the time, according toFox News.
Sheriff Schmidt noted the lawsuit also names Morrison as a defendant.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office quickly denied Naqvi’s allegations, stating in a March 10th release that there was no record of her ever being held at the jail. The office said it asked Naqvi to contact officials directly, noting that it did not have her contact information because she was never booked.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) similarly rejected the claims, posting time-stamped photos on social media that contradicted Naqvi’s account.
“The passenger’s claims are blatantly FALSE…Ms. Naqvi was not taken into custody or transferred to ICE for detention,” DHS posted to X on March 10th.
In reality, Naqvi was referred to secondary inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the airport but left the inspection area less than 90 minutes after reentering the country.
“Her claims of spending 43 hours in DHS custody are FALSE,” the DHS added, attaching photos with timestamps of Naqvi entering and leaving the inspection area.
At a Friday press conference, Schmidt presented extensive evidence to support his claim.
According to hotel records and witness verification, Naqvi checked into a Hampton Inn & Suites near Chicago O’Hare International Airport shortly after 1:00 p.m. on March 5th and remained there during the period in which she claimed to have been detained.
Text messages sent by Naqvi — who is now a defendant in the lawsuit — also appear to contradict her account. In one exchange, she asked a recipient whether she could use their card to pay for a spa service.
“There is no spa at Broadview in Chicago, Illinois. I can also tell you there is no spa lady in our jail here in Dodge County,” Schmidt said.
According to video footage and license plate reader data, Naqvi voluntarily traveled to Wisconsin and was accompanied by a witness.
Members of Naqvi’s family, however, claimed that law enforcement misled them, citing alleged phone location data they said showed she was at an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office disputed the assertion, stating that the data had not been corroborated and conflicted with verified evidence.
“The evidence strongly suggests these location images were manipulated and were unreliable,” the sheriff said at the Friday press conference. He pointed to the times of location images that had been circulated showing her to be at the detention facility.
Yet, video footage showed her at a gas station nearly 40 minutes away at a similar time.
“These allegations are serious, but they are not supported by evidence. We have reviewed the records, we have established the timeline, and the facts are clear — this did not happen,” Schmidt continued.
The sheriff’s office said pursuing criminal charges would be difficult but noted that Schmidt, in his individual capacity, has filed a civil lawsuit in federal court. The office also claimed that Naqvi has made unsubstantiated claims in the past, including sexual assault allegations that were later determined to be false reports.
Officials added that false allegations can undermine public trust and cause reputational harm. The matter has also been referred to federal and state law enforcement agencies for review, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Illinois State Police.
Naqvi has not publicly commented on the case, and Morrison later claimed he had not seen the lawsuit but added that, “if one exists,” he could not comment on pending litigation.
In the most recent election held on March 17th, Morrison lost his bid for the Democrat nomination for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. The race was won by Melissa Bean, who secured approximately 31.8% of the vote.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
Be the first to comment