Woman sued for defamation after falsely claiming she was detained by ICE, when she was at a hotel, spa
Call it the case of the “phantom detention” — a story that set off outrage, political grandstanding, and predictable finger-pointing at immigration authorities. Now, it’s boomeranging back in spectacular fashion.
An Illinois woman who rocketed to national attention with claims of being snatched up by immigration agents is now facing a harsh reality check: according to a bombshell lawsuit, her alleged ordeal looks a lot more like a hotel getaway than a civil liberties crisis.
Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi, 28, told a dramatic tale — one that was eagerly amplified by local politicians and activists — claiming she was held by federal immigration authorities for nearly two days after returning from Turkey in early March. The narrative was tailor-made for outrage: a U.S. citizen allegedly detained, shuffled between facilities, and ultimately dumped in another state without her belongings.
Cue the press conferences, social media outrage, and a sympathetic political ally in Kevin Morrison, who publicly blasted federal officials and painted Naqvi as a victim of bureaucratic abuse. At one point, he declared: “This is a 28-year-old girl just left on the street by ICE in another state, without her property.”
There was just one problem — authorities say none of it happened.
The Department of Homeland Security quickly poured cold water on the story, calling it “blatantly false” and releasing airport surveillance showing Naqvi entering a secondary screening area at Chicago O’Hare International Airport — and leaving roughly 90 minutes later.
“Ms. Naqvi departed CBP within 90 minutes of her arrival to the United States…[she] was not taken into custody or transferred to ICE for detention,” the agency stated.
Meanwhile, officials at Dodge County Sheriff’s Office said they had zero record of her ever being booked, detained, or released — a rather inconvenient detail for a story centered on, well, detention.
But the real twist? According to a federal defamation lawsuit filed by Sheriff Dale J. Schmidt, Naqvi wasn’t being held against her will at all. She was checked into a hotel just minutes from the airport.
“She checked into the Hampton Inn and Suites in Rosemont, Ill., for the entire duration of this alleged event,” Schmidt said, backing it up with receipts, text messages, and surveillance footage.
Those receipts tell a very different story — one involving room service, gym visits, and spa appointments. Texts attributed to Naqvi read like a vacation itinerary: “May I use ur card to order some food,” “going to check out the gym in like 5,” and “May i use your card to pay my spa lady?”
Not exactly the stuff of wrongful imprisonment.
Surveillance footage adds another layer of eyebrow-raising detail. Authorities say Naqvi was spotted at a gas station during the very window she claimed to be locked up — wearing the same outfit she later appeared in for a triumphant “reunion” photo posted online.
In other words, the timeline doesn’t just have holes — it’s practically shredded.
Despite the mounting contradictions, Morrison reportedly doubled down at the time, accusing officials of “lying” and orchestrating a “cover-up.” That kind of rhetoric may play well in a press scrum, but it’s now front and center in a lawsuit seeking at least $1 million in damages per defendant.
Schmidt’s legal team says the case is about more than just one questionable story going viral.
“This lawsuit was filed because a completely fabricated story was pushed into the national spotlight by Naqvi and Cook County Commissioner Morrison,” said attorney Sam Hall. “Unfortunately, their claims were treated as fact without the most basic verification.”
An Illinois woman who rocketed to national attention with claims of being snatched up by immigration agents is now facing a harsh reality check: according to a bombshell lawsuit, her alleged ordeal looks a lot more like a hotel getaway than a civil liberties crisis.
Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi, 28, told a dramatic tale — one that was eagerly amplified by local politicians and activists — claiming she was held by federal immigration authorities for nearly two days after returning from Turkey in early March. The narrative was tailor-made for outrage: a U.S. citizen allegedly detained, shuffled between facilities, and ultimately dumped in another state without her belongings.
Cue the press conferences, social media outrage, and a sympathetic political ally in Kevin Morrison, who publicly blasted federal officials and painted Naqvi as a victim of bureaucratic abuse. At one point, he declared: “This is a 28-year-old girl just left on the street by ICE in another state, without her property.”
There was just one problem — authorities say none of it happened.
The Department of Homeland Security quickly poured cold water on the story, calling it “blatantly false” and releasing airport surveillance showing Naqvi entering a secondary screening area at Chicago O’Hare International Airport — and leaving roughly 90 minutes later.
“Ms. Naqvi departed CBP within 90 minutes of her arrival to the United States…[she] was not taken into custody or transferred to ICE for detention,” the agency stated.
Meanwhile, officials at Dodge County Sheriff’s Office said they had zero record of her ever being booked, detained, or released — a rather inconvenient detail for a story centered on, well, detention.
But the real twist? According to a federal defamation lawsuit filed by Sheriff Dale J. Schmidt, Naqvi wasn’t being held against her will at all. She was checked into a hotel just minutes from the airport.
“She checked into the Hampton Inn and Suites in Rosemont, Ill., for the entire duration of this alleged event,” Schmidt said, backing it up with receipts, text messages, and surveillance footage.
Those receipts tell a very different story — one involving room service, gym visits, and spa appointments. Texts attributed to Naqvi read like a vacation itinerary: “May I use ur card to order some food,” “going to check out the gym in like 5,” and “May i use your card to pay my spa lady?”
Not exactly the stuff of wrongful imprisonment.
Surveillance footage adds another layer of eyebrow-raising detail. Authorities say Naqvi was spotted at a gas station during the very window she claimed to be locked up — wearing the same outfit she later appeared in for a triumphant “reunion” photo posted online.
In other words, the timeline doesn’t just have holes — it’s practically shredded.
Despite the mounting contradictions, Morrison reportedly doubled down at the time, accusing officials of “lying” and orchestrating a “cover-up.” That kind of rhetoric may play well in a press scrum, but it’s now front and center in a lawsuit seeking at least $1 million in damages per defendant.
Schmidt’s legal team says the case is about more than just one questionable story going viral.
“This lawsuit was filed because a completely fabricated story was pushed into the national spotlight by Naqvi and Cook County Commissioner Morrison,” said attorney Sam Hall. “Unfortunately, their claims were treated as fact without the most basic verification.”
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