Viral ICE claim debunked
A widely shared post claiming a traveler was detained by U.S. immigration after a Turkey trip was shown to be false — the person had been at a hotel spa, and a $1 million defamation suit followed. (x.com). The thread sparked discussion about how quickly travel stories can amplify on social before verification. (x.com)
A viral account of a United States citizen supposedly vanishing into immigration custody after a Turkey trip unraveled after officials produced records placing her at an airport hotel and spa instead. (dodgecountysheriff.com) (cbsnews.com) The woman, Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi of Skokie, Illinois, had said in March 2026 that she was held for roughly 30 to 40 hours after landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and later taken to the Dodge County Jail in Wisconsin. The Department of Homeland Security disputed that account on March 11, saying records showed she left federal screening in about 90 minutes. (chicago.suntimes.com) (wgntv.com) On April 10, Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said his office reviewed jail logs, surveillance footage, witness statements, hotel receipts and text messages and found no evidence Naqvi was ever booked or held there. Schmidt then filed a federal defamation suit seeking $1 million in damages. (dodgecountysheriff.com) (fox6now.com) (crivellolaw.com) The lawsuit says Naqvi checked into a Hampton Inn & Suites in Rosemont, Illinois, near O’Hare during the period when she said she was in custody, and that hotel records and surveillance tied her to spa services there. Schmidt said the false account triggered threats, reputational damage and a surge of online attention aimed at his office. (crivellolaw.com) (wisconsinexaminer.com) The claim spread fast because it landed in the middle of a national fight over immigration enforcement and airport screening. Naqvi’s story was amplified in March by supporters, including Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, before federal and local agencies publicly challenged it. (jsonline.com) (msn.com)) Morrison said at the time that the reported detention of a United States citizen was alarming, but Schmidt’s suit names him as a defendant for repeating the allegation after contrary evidence emerged. News reports said Morrison’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment after the lawsuit was filed. (wgntv.com) (wisconsinexaminer.com) Naqvi’s lawyers had originally described a chain of events that began with secondary screening at O’Hare and ended in detention at an Illinois immigration facility and then in Wisconsin. The sheriff’s April 10 presentation said that timeline did not match transport records, jail procedures or any entry in Dodge County’s systems. (chicago.suntimes.com) (dodgecountysheriff.com) Public records reviewed by Wisconsin television station WISN also showed earlier disputes over Naqvi’s credibility in other episodes reported to police and courts. Those records became part of the scrutiny after her detention story began to collapse. (wisn.com) (blockclubchicago.org) The case is now moving from social media feeds into federal court, where the central question is no longer what happened at the airport, but who pays for a story that officials say never happened. (crivellolaw.com) (usatoday.com)
