Dodge County sheriff files civil lawsuit over ICE detention allegations
Sheriff files lawsuit over ICE detention claim
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said he's filed a civil defamation lawsuit tied to claims that ICE detained a woman for 40 hours in Illinois and Wisconsin. Schmidt outlined his office's investigation, which he says determined claims of the woman being detained were false.
JUNEAU, Wis. - Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt is suing an Illinois woman who claimed ICE locked her up for roughly 40 hours, including in Dodge County.
What they're saying:
On Friday, Sheriff Schmidt called it a hoax and backed it up by revealing receipts, surveillance video and witness statements. He said the American woman wasn't detained, but actually checked into a hotel in the Chicago area, enjoying spa treatment and food.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
The sheriff's federal civil lawsuit alleges defamation at the hands of Sundas "Sunny" Naqvi, the woman who claimed ICE detained her.
"Dodge County is not the place you want to make up a hoax about," said Schmidt.
Dodge County sheriff denies detention allegations made by Sunny Naqvi
The Dodge County Sheriff's Office revealed the findings of a one-month investigation into claims that Sundas "Sunny" Naqvi was detained for more than 30 hours by ICE in Chicago and Wisconsin. The sheriff flatly denied those allegations, and filed a civil lawsuit against her, among others.
Detention allegations
The backstory:
Cook County, Illinois Commissioner Kevin Morrison and Naqvi's sister spoke at a news conference on March 8. They alleged Sundas was locked up by ICE, first at O'Hare International Airport, then the Broadview ICE Detention Facility in the Chicago area, and then the Dodge County Jail in Wisconsin.
"This is a 28-year-old girl just left on the street by ICE in another state, without her property," said Commissioner Morrison back in March.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
The federal civil defamation suit also targets him.
"It was a very scary time, and it’s really scary to know this could happen to someone born here," said Navgi's sister, Sarah Afzal on March 8. "We kept being lied to our faces. We were told that she wasn’t here. We saw her location smack-dab in the middle of the facility. We saw her location in Wisconsin in the middle of the facility. The cops were lying to our faces."
Dodge County Sheriff's Office investigation
What we know:
The sheriff countered.
"The evidence strongly suggests these location images were manipulated and are unreliable. Again, look at the times," said Sheriff Schmidt. "5:29 a.m., if she was in the Dodge County Jail at 5:29 a.m., where was she at 5:46 a.m? 37 minutes away in Slinger. The times don’t line up."
The sheriff showed surveillance video of Naqvi at a Slinger gas station at 5:46 a.m. on the morning of March 7.
The sheriff also showed U.S. Homeland Security images. DHS said the images show Naqvi going through customs on a return flight to O'Hare at 10:21 a.m. on March 5. Then, DHS said she went through secondary inspection and left the public area on her own about 80 minutes later.
Sundas "Sunny" Naqvi at the Fireside gas station in Slinger
"She checked into the Hampton Inn and Suites in Rosemont, Illinois for the entire duration of this alleged event," added Schmidt.
Sheriff Schmidt brings the receipts. It lists Naqvi as checking into that hotel at 1:17 in the afternoon on March 5. Inside the hotel, the sheriff said she texted a victim of the alleged hoax: "May I use your card to pay my spa lady?"
"Now, I don’t know about you, and my staff have never reported one. There is no spa at Broadview in Chicago, Illinois. I can also tell you there is no spa lady at our jail here in Dodge County," said Schmidt.
Then, the sheriff said Naqvi asked the alleged victim for a ride to Wisconsin on March 7, and they stopped at a gas station in Slinger, Wisconsin.
Sundas "Sunny" Naqvi
"Arrival time there was at 5:38 a.m." said Schmidt. "They are claiming she was in the Dodge County Jail being released around this time. Not possible."
Supporters had said Naqvi was released from ICE custody in the early hours of March 7. The family said she then hitchhiked nine miles to a Holiday Inn, where family met her.
"This is a serious accusation. And when it is not true, it does real damage. It damages the trust between law enforcement and the community. It unfairly puts a target on the backs of officers who are doing their jobs the right way. And it undermines the integrity of agencies," said Schmidt.
The sheriff also pointed to her background. He pointed to three previous cases where she is alleged to have made false allegations.
Defamation lawsuit
What's next:
The sheriff's defamation lawsuit seeks $1 million from each defendant.
FOX6 contacted Naqvi's attorney, but hasn't heard back. Commissioner Morrison told FOX6 he hasn't yet seen the lawsuit and if it has been filed, he cannot comment on pending litigation.
Editor's note: This story was updated with a correction.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the Dodge County Sheriff's Office, as well as information from a news conference Morrison led on March 8.