Minneapolis Uber Driver Confronts Border Patrol on Racist Grounds
Ahmed Bin Hassan, a Somali American driver, was driving for Uber at the Minneapolis airport when he received an unexpected visit from a U.S. Border Patrol agent. In a shocking confrontation that has gone viral, Bin Hassan stood up to the agents, refusing to show his identification and instead using humor to defuse the situation.
"I can hear you don't have the same accent as me," the Border Patrol agent said, according to Bin Hassan. "That's why I'm asking you." The driver replied by pointing out the inconsistency in the agent's statement, implying that the agent was looking for someone with a specific accent rather than relying on any genuine suspicion of immigration status.
Bin Hassan, who is an American citizen and has lived in the U.S. since 2005, said he was not intimidated by the agents' aggressive behavior. He believed they were motivated by racism and xenophobia, fueled by President Donald Trump's inflammatory rhetoric about Somali immigrants.
The Border Patrol agent had been patrolling the airport parking lot when she approached Bin Hassan's car. She demanded to see his identification, claiming that he looked like someone who might be undocumented. However, Bin Hassan remained calm and replied that he didn't have any reason to believe he was being targeted.
"I knew what he meant, and I wanted to let him say his racism all out," Bin Hassan said in an interview with The Intercept. "Bring it all out." The driver continued to engage the agents, asking them for their ID and questioning their citizenship.
The confrontation lasted several minutes, after which the Border Patrol agents walked away. Despite the tense situation, Bin Hassan remained defiant, refusing to back down or show his identification.
Bin Hassan's actions have sparked widespread praise online, with many praising his courage and humor in the face of racist aggression. However, some critics have pointed out that the incident highlights the ongoing problems faced by immigrants and communities of color who are vulnerable to police harassment and profiling.
The incident is also a reflection of the Trump administration's policies targeting Somali immigrants, who were singled out for enforcement actions in Minneapolis and other cities across the U.S. The crackdown on Somalis has been widely criticized as a form of xenophobia and racial profiling.
As Bin Hassan said during his interview with The Intercept: "They couldn't hear my voice when they knocked on my window, but they could see my color." His statement highlights the need for greater awareness about racism and xenophobia in law enforcement agencies.
Ahmed Bin Hassan, a Somali American driver, was driving for Uber at the Minneapolis airport when he received an unexpected visit from a U.S. Border Patrol agent. In a shocking confrontation that has gone viral, Bin Hassan stood up to the agents, refusing to show his identification and instead using humor to defuse the situation.
"I can hear you don't have the same accent as me," the Border Patrol agent said, according to Bin Hassan. "That's why I'm asking you." The driver replied by pointing out the inconsistency in the agent's statement, implying that the agent was looking for someone with a specific accent rather than relying on any genuine suspicion of immigration status.
Bin Hassan, who is an American citizen and has lived in the U.S. since 2005, said he was not intimidated by the agents' aggressive behavior. He believed they were motivated by racism and xenophobia, fueled by President Donald Trump's inflammatory rhetoric about Somali immigrants.
The Border Patrol agent had been patrolling the airport parking lot when she approached Bin Hassan's car. She demanded to see his identification, claiming that he looked like someone who might be undocumented. However, Bin Hassan remained calm and replied that he didn't have any reason to believe he was being targeted.
"I knew what he meant, and I wanted to let him say his racism all out," Bin Hassan said in an interview with The Intercept. "Bring it all out." The driver continued to engage the agents, asking them for their ID and questioning their citizenship.
The confrontation lasted several minutes, after which the Border Patrol agents walked away. Despite the tense situation, Bin Hassan remained defiant, refusing to back down or show his identification.
Bin Hassan's actions have sparked widespread praise online, with many praising his courage and humor in the face of racist aggression. However, some critics have pointed out that the incident highlights the ongoing problems faced by immigrants and communities of color who are vulnerable to police harassment and profiling.
The incident is also a reflection of the Trump administration's policies targeting Somali immigrants, who were singled out for enforcement actions in Minneapolis and other cities across the U.S. The crackdown on Somalis has been widely criticized as a form of xenophobia and racial profiling.
As Bin Hassan said during his interview with The Intercept: "They couldn't hear my voice when they knocked on my window, but they could see my color." His statement highlights the need for greater awareness about racism and xenophobia in law enforcement agencies.
. Someone needs to tell them that looks aren't credentials 
"
bin hassan's response was cool, but like, shouldn't we be addressing the root issue here? why do we still have border patrol agents profiling ppl based on accent or appearance? sources needed pls 
. As a parent, it's heartbreaking to think that your child might be targeted just because of their skin color or accent. The way that Border Patrol agent was talking down to Ahmed like he was some kind of alien is just disturbing 
. And the fact that he stood up for himself and refused to back down is truly inspiring. I mean, his response about not having an accent like him? Genius 
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this is wild. i mean, who does that? an uber driver just stands up to border patrol like that? it's crazy how racist and xenophobic some ppl can be 
. but at the same time, i gotta give props to ahmed bin hassan for not backin down or showin his id. he was calm, cool, and collected 
. and btw, who knew humor could defuse a situation like that? 
. it's like, they're already bein targeted by trump's policies, and now border patrol's gettin into it too? 
that's not how it works!
we need to keep calling out this kind of racism and harassment and make sure our leaders are held accountable 
this is so crazy what's going on with our borders right now. like, we're a country built by immigrants and we can't even get that right. I mean, come on, if you look different, you must be suspicious? 
it's just not fair to everyone. Bin Hassan was totally right in standing up for himself and calling out the agent's racism. he's an American citizen and should feel safe driving around his own country. we need more people like him speaking out against this kind of nonsense. 
. It's about time someone showed them what real courage looks like 
. But hey, at least Bin Hassan isn't going to let it shake him off his wheels 
.