In a chilling incident, Ahmed Bin Hassan, an Uber driver from Somalia, was accosted by Border Patrol agents at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in December last year. The agents questioned him about his immigration status, despite having no reason to suspect that he was not a U.S. citizen.
Hassan, 38, had moved to the United States in 2005 as a teenager and became a naturalized American citizen in 2016. However, the Trump administration's recent crackdown on immigrants from Somalia has raised concerns about his safety.
During the encounter, Bin Hassan remained defiant and refused to provide his identification or proof of citizenship. He even mocked the agents' uniform numbers, saying, "I can hear you don't have the same accent as me." The agent responded by asking him if he knew he didn't belong in the country, implying that he was a foreigner.
Bin Hassan told The Intercept that he wanted to let the agent say his racism out loud. He believed that by confronting the agent, he could expose the underlying prejudices and stereotypes that led to the confrontation. "I thought, hey, whatever the consequences are, if I refuse to show you my identity, let those consequences occur," Bin Hassan said. "But in the meantime, I'm going to have fun with it."
The incident has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many praising Bin Hassan's courage and humor. However, the 38-year-old Uber driver remains unfazed by the attention, saying that he is not scared of running into ICE agents again.
"I just wanted them to get out of my way so I could continue to work, earn an honest day's living," Bin Hassan said in an interview with The Intercept. "And he is not scared of running into the ICE agents on the streets again."
The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by immigrant communities in the United States, particularly those from Somalia. The Trump administration's recent crackdown on immigrants has sparked widespread concern and protests across the country.
As Bin Hassan reflects on his experience, he says that his Muslim faith has given him a sense of calm and confidence in the face of adversity. "I knew if these people were going to take me out here today, it's going to happen," he said. "So I'm just going to be me."
The incident also raises questions about the effectiveness of community outreach programs and education initiatives aimed at preventing racial profiling and xenophobia. Bin Hassan's case has sparked a wider conversation about the need for greater understanding and empathy towards immigrant communities.
In a statement, The Intercept said, "We stand with Ahmed Bin Hassan and the Somali American community in their fight against racism and xenophobia. We will continue to report on this issue and push for policies that promote justice, equality, and human rights for all."
Hassan, 38, had moved to the United States in 2005 as a teenager and became a naturalized American citizen in 2016. However, the Trump administration's recent crackdown on immigrants from Somalia has raised concerns about his safety.
During the encounter, Bin Hassan remained defiant and refused to provide his identification or proof of citizenship. He even mocked the agents' uniform numbers, saying, "I can hear you don't have the same accent as me." The agent responded by asking him if he knew he didn't belong in the country, implying that he was a foreigner.
Bin Hassan told The Intercept that he wanted to let the agent say his racism out loud. He believed that by confronting the agent, he could expose the underlying prejudices and stereotypes that led to the confrontation. "I thought, hey, whatever the consequences are, if I refuse to show you my identity, let those consequences occur," Bin Hassan said. "But in the meantime, I'm going to have fun with it."
The incident has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many praising Bin Hassan's courage and humor. However, the 38-year-old Uber driver remains unfazed by the attention, saying that he is not scared of running into ICE agents again.
"I just wanted them to get out of my way so I could continue to work, earn an honest day's living," Bin Hassan said in an interview with The Intercept. "And he is not scared of running into the ICE agents on the streets again."
The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by immigrant communities in the United States, particularly those from Somalia. The Trump administration's recent crackdown on immigrants has sparked widespread concern and protests across the country.
As Bin Hassan reflects on his experience, he says that his Muslim faith has given him a sense of calm and confidence in the face of adversity. "I knew if these people were going to take me out here today, it's going to happen," he said. "So I'm just going to be me."
The incident also raises questions about the effectiveness of community outreach programs and education initiatives aimed at preventing racial profiling and xenophobia. Bin Hassan's case has sparked a wider conversation about the need for greater understanding and empathy towards immigrant communities.
In a statement, The Intercept said, "We stand with Ahmed Bin Hassan and the Somali American community in their fight against racism and xenophobia. We will continue to report on this issue and push for policies that promote justice, equality, and human rights for all."
I mean, can you imagine being a naturalized US citizen living in the States with a legitimate reason to be there, only to get stopped by border agents at an airport? It's like, what even is going on? 
The fact that Ahmed Bin Hassan refused to back down and mocked their uniforms just shows how frustrating it must have been for him. But at the same time, I can see why he'd want to expose those racist undertones. It's a pretty wild situation, but it highlights how important it is to address these kinds of issues head-on 
. I mean, it's unacceptable that they questioned Ahmed's immigration status without any reason to do so. He's a naturalized American citizen, after all! 
It's crazy that the Trump admin's crackdown on immigrants from Somalia has led to situations like this.
. I mean, can't we just have a calm conversation about our differences instead of resorting to drama? 
. It's awesome that he's not afraid to speak out against racism and xenophobia. We need more people like him advocating for change 
.
i'm so proud of him for standing up for himself and refusing to be intimidated. he's not scared of running into ICE agents again because he knows he's done nothing wrong 
. like, ahmed bin hassan is a naturalized american citizen and has been living here since he was 14 
i mean, come on, if u r so suspicious of ppl from somalia, why not check their immigration status on a regular basis instead of randomly accosting them at airports? 
. that takes major courage and i'm glad he's gettin all the attention now 
. it's about time ppl started callin out racism and xenophobia when they see it 
. let's keep pushin for greater understanding and empathy towards immigrant communities 
no reason for them to question him other than because of his skin color. it's just so unfair and racist. i feel so bad for the dude who went through that 
and i'm definitely with The Intercept on this one - we need more community outreach programs and education initiatives to teach people about empathy and understanding towards immigrant communities 
bin hassan handled that situation perfectly, refused to back down or apologize for being somali, which is something americans should be proud of, not ashamed of! 
he's more American than most ppl i know who are born here.
. anyhoo, I think Ahmed Bin Hassan handled it pretty coolly for someone who was basically being bullied. btw, have u heard the story of this dude who was stopped by border patrol at LAX because he had a Nigerian SIM card in his phone? 
this is so wild, a dude has been living here for 20 yrs & still gets stopped by border patrol just bc of his ethnicity 
I'm glad that Bin Hassan spoke out against it and refused to back down. He needs all the credit for standing up for himself and his community.
I mean, come on... This incident is just wild 
. It's not right 
. We need more stories like Ahmed's to raise awareness about the importance of empathy and understanding 
. And for real, let's talk about community outreach programs and education initiatives that can actually make a difference 
!
theyre doing their job but also taking it out on people who arent even suspicious they should be apologizing to this guy not just lecturing him about his citizenship newsflash racism is still a major problem in the usa and we need to start holding ppl accountable for it