For Ahmed Bin Hassan, the moment his Uber car came to a halt at the Minneapolis airport was one he had been dreading. As a Somali American, Bin Hassan knew that he would be an easy target for Border Patrol agents, fueled by President Donald Trump's racist comments about the Somali community.
"I could hear them talking," Bin Hassan said in an exclusive interview with The Intercept. "They were saying some really bad things."
A few hours earlier, Renee Nicole Good had been shot and killed by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. Bin Hassan watched the video of her death on his phone as he sat in his car.
And then, the knock came. A Border Patrol agent stood at the window of Bin Hassan's Uber car, asking to speak with him.
"I could hear you don't have the same accent as me," the agent said. "That's why I'm asking you."
Bin Hassan had been keeping a low profile while driving his Uber for hours. He didn't expect to be accosted by Border Patrol agents in an airport parking lot.
The agent was not the only one, however. A dozen masked ICE agents were present at the scene, armed and ready to take action.
"It's not every day that you see people showing up with guns," Bin Hassan said. "It felt like a war zone."
Bin Hassan stood firm, refusing to identify himself or provide proof of citizenship. He was angry and scared, but he refused to back down.
The agents continued to harass him, taking cellphone videos and photographs. At one point, their leader, Gregory Bovino, approached with canisters of what appeared to be chemical agents hanging off his body armor.
Despite the danger, Bin Hassan remained defiant, asking the agents for their ID and proof of citizenship.
"I just wanted them to get out of my way so I could continue to work," Bin Hassan said in an interview. "I didn't want any trouble."
The confrontation lasted several minutes before the agents walked away. Bin Hassan was shaken but unharmed.
He knows that he may have made enemies by standing up for himself, but he's not afraid.
"I'm a citizen of this country," Bin Hassan said. "I won't be intimidated by anyone."
Bin Hassan is part of a community that has been targeted by the Trump administration in Minneapolis. Somali Americans have long faced racism and xenophobia in the city, and Bin Hassan knows that his own experience is just one example of the struggles that many face.
"It's not easy being Black, Muslim immigrant," Bin Hassan said. "You're always looking over your shoulder."
But despite the challenges, Bin Hassan remains hopeful.
"I'm still driving peacefully," he said. "I won't let fear take over my life."
"I could hear them talking," Bin Hassan said in an exclusive interview with The Intercept. "They were saying some really bad things."
A few hours earlier, Renee Nicole Good had been shot and killed by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. Bin Hassan watched the video of her death on his phone as he sat in his car.
And then, the knock came. A Border Patrol agent stood at the window of Bin Hassan's Uber car, asking to speak with him.
"I could hear you don't have the same accent as me," the agent said. "That's why I'm asking you."
Bin Hassan had been keeping a low profile while driving his Uber for hours. He didn't expect to be accosted by Border Patrol agents in an airport parking lot.
The agent was not the only one, however. A dozen masked ICE agents were present at the scene, armed and ready to take action.
"It's not every day that you see people showing up with guns," Bin Hassan said. "It felt like a war zone."
Bin Hassan stood firm, refusing to identify himself or provide proof of citizenship. He was angry and scared, but he refused to back down.
The agents continued to harass him, taking cellphone videos and photographs. At one point, their leader, Gregory Bovino, approached with canisters of what appeared to be chemical agents hanging off his body armor.
Despite the danger, Bin Hassan remained defiant, asking the agents for their ID and proof of citizenship.
"I just wanted them to get out of my way so I could continue to work," Bin Hassan said in an interview. "I didn't want any trouble."
The confrontation lasted several minutes before the agents walked away. Bin Hassan was shaken but unharmed.
He knows that he may have made enemies by standing up for himself, but he's not afraid.
"I'm a citizen of this country," Bin Hassan said. "I won't be intimidated by anyone."
Bin Hassan is part of a community that has been targeted by the Trump administration in Minneapolis. Somali Americans have long faced racism and xenophobia in the city, and Bin Hassan knows that his own experience is just one example of the struggles that many face.
"It's not easy being Black, Muslim immigrant," Bin Hassan said. "You're always looking over your shoulder."
But despite the challenges, Bin Hassan remains hopeful.
"I'm still driving peacefully," he said. "I won't let fear take over my life."
. I mean, what’s going on with these Border Patrol agents and ICE? They're showing up at people's cars in the airport parking lot, asking for their ID and proof of citizenship... it's like something out of a bad action movie. And the fact that Ahmed Bin Hassan was basically profiled because of his accent is just wrong 
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I mean, I know Ahmed Bin Hassan was right to stand up for himself and refuse to back down from ICE agents, but the level of aggression they displayed is just insane 
The fact that these agents were armed and showed up with chemical agents is seriously unsettling. As a community, we need to be aware of the risks we face when speaking out against racism and xenophobia 
But at the same time, we can't let fear control us either - Bin Hassan's attitude is truly inspiring 
We just need to keep pushing forward and supporting each other in the face of adversity 
this is crazy how ICE can just show up at someone's car and start harassing them... like what even is going on here? 
what is going on in the US? ICE agents showing up at an airport parking lot with guns and chemical agents?! 
that's not how law enforcement works in a democracy. Ahmed Bin Hassan, I salute you for standing up for yourself and refusing to back down 
it takes courage to face that kind of harassment and intimidation. the fact that he's still driving Uber after this experience just shows his strength and resilience 
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. And what really gets me is that he was just trying to do his job and work peacefully, but they started harassing him and making it all about them 
. We need some serious changes around here 
. As a community, Somali Americans deserve more than just sympathy - they need concrete action against racism & xenophobia 
. We gotta do better