Officials dispute Illinois woman's claim she was held 30 hours at airport, sent to Wisconsin jail

"They have been lying from the very start of this," Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison said in his call for a federal investigation.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Sunny Naqvi, a U.S. citizen, claims she was detained at O'Hare International Airport for 30 hours before being transferred to an immigration facility in Broadview, Illinois and then to the Dodge County Jail in Wisconsin. However, local and federal officials dispute her account, with the Dodge County Sheriff's Office stating they have no record of Naqvi being booked, detained or released from their jail. The Department of Homeland Security also called Naqvi's claims "blatantly false," stating she departed Customs and Border Protection within 90 minutes of arriving in the U.S. and was not taken into custody or transferred to ICE.

Why it matters

This case raises concerns about potential civil liberties violations and the treatment of U.S. citizens by immigration authorities. If Naqvi's account is accurate, it would represent a troubling abuse of power and lack of due process. However, the officials' denials also raise questions about transparency and accountability in these types of cases.

The details

According to Naqvi's family friend, Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, Naqvi said immigration officials detained her at O'Hare for 30 hours before transferring her to an immigration facility in Broadview, Illinois and then to the Dodge County Jail in Wisconsin, the only jail in the state where immigration detainees are held. Morrison shared screenshots that he claims show Naqvi's cell phone pinging at those locations. However, the Dodge County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Homeland Security have disputed Naqvi's account, with the Sheriff's Office stating they have no record of her being booked, detained or released from their jail, and DHS calling her claims "blatantly false" and stating she departed Customs and Border Protection within 90 minutes.

  • On March 5, 2026, Naqvi arrived at O'Hare International Airport.
  • Naqvi was allegedly detained at O'Hare for 30 hours.
  • Naqvi was allegedly transferred to an immigration facility in Broadview, Illinois.
  • Naqvi was allegedly transferred to the Dodge County Jail in Wisconsin.
  • Naqvi allegedly left the Dodge County Jail at 5 a.m. on Saturday, March 7, 2026.

The players

Sunny Naqvi

A 28-year-old U.S. citizen who claims she was detained at O'Hare Airport and transferred to an immigration facility and jail.

Kevin Morrison

A Cook County Commissioner who is a family friend of Naqvi and is calling for a federal investigation into her claims.

Dale Schmidt

The Dodge County Sheriff who stated the allegations against his department do not appear to be accurate.

Department of Homeland Security

The federal agency that called Naqvi's claims "blatantly false" and stated she departed Customs and Border Protection within 90 minutes of arriving in the U.S.

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What they’re saying

“They have been lying from the very start of this. I don't think they want to own up to the fact that, once again, they have illegally detained American citizens without due process.”

— Kevin Morrison, Cook County Commissioner

“The cops were lying to our faces. We were asking them, 'Hey, her location is here. We were in contact with her,' and they kept being like, 'I don't know what to tell you.'”

— Sara Afzal, Naqvi's sister

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.