During her two days in immigration detention, a St. Paul woman who was born in Minnesota said she “put her faith in God” and prayed after suffering what appeared to be a stress-induced seizure and being taken to a hospital in arm and leg restraints.

Nasra Ahmed, 23, tilted her face to the side Sunday evening to show the broken skin and bruising she said she suffered on the side of her head when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shoved her to the ground of a parking lot outside the apartment complex where she lives with relatives.

“I gave them my I.D. since they asked,” said Ahmed, a U.S. citizen who has no documented criminal history in Minnesota. “I did everything they asked.”

On top of her treatment, residents of the predominantly Somali-American housing complex have expressed shock and outrage that a U.S. citizen would be taken into custody by armed immigration officials.

“What is going on is not right,” said her father, Mohamed Ahmed, who had no access to his daughter during her two days of incarceration.

“It’s wrong. Everyone can see,” he added. “They’re not going after the ‘worst of the worst.’ They’re terrorizing the community. They’re terrorizing mostly communities of color, but everybody is being targeted now. Nasra committed no crime, but they put her in jail. She’s got bruises.”

Growing federal presence

Nasra Ahmed’s arrest is the latest in a growing number of reported immigration detentions involving non-citizens and U.S. citizens.

Stepped-up immigration enforcement throughout the Twin Cities began late last year and escalated in early January with upwards of 2,000 ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.

Kristi Noem, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said last week that DHS would send “hundreds more” federal officers to Minnesota.

Ahmed, who lives with an aunt in the complex off Lower Afton Road in St. Paul, said she had just left home around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday to pick up her prescription medication when two Somali-American men ran past her in the parking lot.

Nasra Ahmed, 23, photographed outside a relative’s apartment near Lower Afton Road in St. Paul on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, where she was forcibly detained by federal immigration agents on Wednesday, suffering cuts and bruises to her face and legs. She spent two days at the Sherburne County Jail before being released without charges on Friday night. She is a U.S. citizen, born in Minnesota, with no documented criminal history. (Frederick Melo / Pioneer Press)

She suddenly found herself in the middle of a group of ICE agents who had been chasing them, she said. The armed agents demanded to see her identification, and she complied.

The situation quickly escalated anyway, she said, with an agent calling her a racial slur and another telling her they were “making America great again.” In videos of the incident recorded by neighbors and circulating on social media, a dozen agents can be seen surrounding her, forcing her to the ground and then into a car.

A jail roster later listed her as 5’4 and 112 lbs. — an unlikely threat to a team of agents, at least in her own eyes.

“They used a lot of force to arrest me,” she said. “They pinned me. I have a bruise on my head. I’ve been having head pain since that incident. My whole body is aching. … I was crying. I was screaming.”

Two days in detention

Ahmed said her cellular phone was confiscated and has yet to be returned. She was driven by two agents — a Latina and the driver, a Caucasian man — to the Whipple Building at Fort Snelling, where she said she shared a detention cell with a woman who had suffered gashes to her legs that had bloodied her pants.

The woman, who was Native American, told Ahmed she had been forcibly removed from her car.

Ahmed was soon transferred to the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River, which serves as a holding facility for ICE. A jail roster listed her as being held pending federal felony charges, but it provided no additional details.

Ahmed, a former Amazon factory worker, has been taking time away from working since suffering repeated medical episodes that include seizure-like symptoms. On Thursday, she said, she had another episode, which may have been stress-induced.

She was taken, shackled, to an Allina hospital, where she was given an MRI and held overnight under watch.

“The way they treated me during that episode while I was transported, I was cuffed from my hands to my legs. I was covered in chains,” she said. “They had a padlock on me. … While I was in the hospital, if I needed to go to the restroom or I needed to get up, they had chains on me like Hannibal Lecter, pretty much.”

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She was returned Friday to the Sherburne County Jail, and then moved back to the Whipple Building, where she was released around 7:45 p.m. Friday without charges. With her cell phone confiscated, she had no way of calling her parents, but she was driven home by a federal public defender.

Her father, Mohamed Ahmed, had worked closely with the office of state Rep. Samakab Hussein DFL-St. Paul, to get her out of federal detention.

“She’s never been arrested,” her father said. “She’s a good citizen.”

If you’re tired of visiting places trod by millions of tourists previously, perhaps you should consider looking in less likely spots this year.

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A cheat sheet for that can be found in Afar’s primer, “Where To Go in 2026: Places That Are on the Rise and off the Beaten Path.” The travel-media brand has collected two dozen destinations that serve as a “better way to travel the world: responsibly, creatively and with eyes on places long overlooked.”

Think of Buffalo, N.Y., whose Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor is getting a resurrected jazz club and a pioneering Black radio museum in 2026. Or West Cork, Ireland, a wild and enchanting side of the island that visitors don’t often patronize, or Rabat, Morocco, which is rising as a cultural hub with new museums and a rockin’ summer music festival.

Residents of Northern California might perk up their ears at the inclusion of the Columbia River Gorge, a rugged and waterfall-blessed region in Oregon and Washington that’s within striking range. Here are the first 10 on the list in alphabetical order; for more check the full guide.

Afar’s places on the rise and off the beaten path

1 Adelaide, Australia

2 Albuquerque, N.M.

3 Birmingham, Ala.

4 Bucharest, Romania

5 Buffalo, N.Y.

A view from the family beach at Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, on Saturday, June 8, 2024, of the Disney Magic docked at the bridge that leads to Disney’s newest destination on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas. (Rich Pope, Orlando Sentinel)

6 Columbia River Gorge, Oregon and Washington

7 Da Nang, Vietnam

8 East Antarctica

9 Eleuthera, Bahamas

10 Far East London

Source: afar.com/magazine/the-best-places-to-travel-in-2026

Originally, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” was to land on TV screens in mid-2025.

The gods had other ideas.

This third HBO series set in the world that author George R.R. Martin introduced with his “A Song of Ice and Fire” collection of fantasy novels finally arrives this week, mere months before the highly anticipated return of the second, “House of the Dragon,” in the summer.

While “Dragon” is much like “Game of Thrones,” the beloved (until it wasn’t) adaptation of “A Song of Ice and Fire” — an hourlong series chock full of drama, scheming, battles, magic and, of course, dragons — “Knight” is a small-scale, half-hour affair largely grounded in reality while still taking place in the realm of Westeros.

Look at it as an appetizer for the meal that will be the third season of “Dragon.”

“Knight” is based on Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg” novellas, with this first six-episode season an adaptation of 1998’s “The Hedge Knight.” Dunk is the titular figure of that book and the TV series, the towering Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), while Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) is a diminutive boy who comes to squire for him.

Their adventures take place about a century after the events being chronicled in “Dragon” and about 100 years before those of “Thrones.” It is a time when the winged, fire-breathing creatures are thought to be extinct and one of relative peace in the realm’s seven kingdoms — or nine, depending on how you are counting.

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Showrunner Ira Parker — who has produced and written on “Dragon” — is the writer or co-writer of each “Knight” installment, helping to lend it an unmistakable consistency.

We are introduced to Dunk as he buries the hedge knight for whom he squired, Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), and who, Dunk will come to insist, knighted him shortly before dying. Not long after this, we watch as he relieves himself (no, sigh, the second one) behind a tree, the camera still able to catch much of the, um, glory.

Man, it’s great to be back in Westeros!

Unable to conjure a more promising plan, the near-coin-less Dunk decides to ride for Ashford Meadow, soon to be the site of a tournament where he intends to compete in the jousting event. Along the way, of course, he encounters Egg, who asks to be his squire. Dunk initially rejects this idea but soon relents, allowing the lad to be his aide and promising to keep him fed, if not much beyond that, in exchange.

To compete, Dunk must convince others he is a knight — if only a hedge knight, a class of wandering warriors who, we learn, often must sleep in the hedges because no lord will have them. In this pursuit, he meets men with important last names, such as charismatic enjoyer of life Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) and Prince Baelor “Breakspear” Targaryen (Bertie Carvel), the heir to the all-important Iron Throne in King’s Landing. The latter is unlike some other powerful members of his family — not just because he has short, dark hair but also because he is thoughtful, measured and kind.

Dunk’s life is complicated when he runs afoul of one of Baelor’s nephews, Prince Aerion “Brightflame” Targaryen (Finn Bennett), son of Maekar Targaryen (Sam Spruell), Baelor’s younger brother. Dunk was in the right, of course, protecting a Dornish puppeteer, Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford), who was having a bit of satirical fun at the Targaryens’ expense, but that matters little considering the power wielded by Aerion.

Egg stands by Dunk, but he will need more formidable allies if he is to survive the trial to come.

“Knight,” with its basic story and Dunk’s relatable values — informed by a late-season flashback episode in which a younger version of the character is portrayed by Bamber Todd during a crucial point in his adolescence in the slums of Flea Bottom — is appealing in its simplicity. That said, even with most episodes around 30 minutes, it could use a bit more excitement and action.

Former rugby player Claffey is a nice find for everyman Dunk, and Ansell (“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”) brings some clever touches to the complicated Egg. However, there’s more crackle to this series when it involves certain supporting players, including the aforementioned Carvel (“The Crown”) and Ings (“The Gentlemen”).

As has “House of the Dragon,” “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” serves as a reminder of just how well Martin has fleshed out both the geography and overall mythology of Westeros. (Relatedly, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to learn that this series is keeping a little secret, one no doubt already known to many well-steeped in Martin’s world-building.)

While “Knight” is, again, only so filling, you’ll get no objections here that it already has been renewed for a second season, which you’d expect to adapt Martin’s second novella in the series, 2003’s “The Sworn Sword.”

The gods are good.

‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’

What: Six-episode first season of half-hour series set in author George R.R. Martin’s Westeros.

Where: HBO and HBO Max.

When: 10 p.m. Sundays starting Jan. 18.

Rated: TV-MA.

By Shalina Chatlani, Stateline.org

As part of its deportation efforts, the Trump administration has ordered states to hand over personal data from voter rolls, driver’s license records and programs such as Medicaid and food stamps.

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At the same time, the administration is trying to consolidate the bits of personal data held across federal agencies, creating a single trove of information on people who live in the United States.

Many left-leaning states and cities are trying to protect their residents’ personal information amid the immigration crackdown. But a growing number of conservative lawmakers also want to curb the use of surveillance technologies, such as automated license plate readers, that can be used to identify and track people.

Conservative-led states such as Arkansas, Idaho and Montana enacted laws last year designed to protect the personal data collected through license plate readers and other means. They joined at least five left-leaning states — Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York and Washington — that specifically blocked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from accessing their driver’s license records.

In addition, Democratic-led cities in Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Washington last year terminated their contracts with Flock Safety, the largest provider of license plate readers in the U.S.

The Trump administration’s goal is to create a “surveillance dragnet across the country,” said William Owen, communications director at the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a nonprofit that advocates for stronger privacy laws.

“We’re entering an increasingly dystopian era of high-tech surveillance,” Owen said. Intelligence sharing between various levels of government, he said, has “allowed ICE to sidestep sanctuary laws and co-opt local police databases and surveillance tools, including license plate readers, facial recognition and other technologies.”

A new Montana law bars government entities from accessing electronic communications and related material without a warrant. Republican state Sen. Daniel Emrich, the law’s author, said “the most important thing that our entire justice system is based on is the principle against unlawful search and seizure” — the right enshrined in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“It’s tough to find individuals who are constitutionally grounded and understand the necessity of keeping the Fourth Amendment rights intact at all times for all reasons — with minimal or zero exceptions,” Emrich said in an interview.

ICE did not respond to Stateline’s requests for comment.

Automated license plate readers

Recently, cities and states have grown particularly concerned over the use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs), which are high-speed camera and computer systems that capture license plate information on vehicles that drive by. These readers sit on top of police cars and streetlights or can be hidden within construction barrels and utility poles.

Some cameras collect data that gets stored in databases for years, raising concerns among privacy advocates. One report from the Brennan Center for Justice, a progressive think tank at New York University, found the data can be susceptible to hacking. Different agencies have varying policies on how long they keep the data, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, a law enforcement advocacy group.

Supporters of the technology, including many in law enforcement, say the technology is a powerful tool for tracking down criminal suspects.

Flock Safety says it has cameras in more than 5,000 communities and is connected to more than 4,800 law enforcement agencies across 49 states. The company claims its cameras conduct more than 20 billion license plate reads a month. It collects the data and gives it to police departments, which use the information to locate people.

Holly Beilin, a spokesperson for Flock Safety, told Stateline that while there are local police agencies that may be working with ICE, the company does not have a contractual relationship with the agency. Beilin also said that many liberal and even sanctuary cities continue to sign contracts with Flock Safety. She noted that the cameras have been used to solve some high-profile crimes, including identifying and leading police to the man who committed the Brown University shooting and killed an MIT professor at the end of last year.

“Agencies and cities are very much able to use this technology in a way that complies with their values. So they do not have to share data out of state,” Beilin said.

Pushback over data’s use

But critics, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, say that Flock Safety’s cameras are not only “giving even the smallest-town police chief access to an enormously powerful driver-surveillance tool,” but also that the data is being used by ICE. One news outlet, 404 Media, obtained records of these searches and found many were being carried out by local officers on behalf of ICE.

Last spring, the Denver City Council unanimously voted to terminate its contract with Flock Safety, but Democratic Mayor Mike Johnston unilaterally extended the contract in October, arguing that the technology was a useful crime-fighting tool.

The ACLU of Colorado has vehemently opposed the cameras, saying last August that audit logs from the Denver Police Department show more than 1,400 searches had been conducted for ICE since June 2024.

“The conversation has really gotten bigger because of the federal landscape and the focus, not only on immigrants and the functionality of ICE right now, but also on the side of really trying to reduce and or eliminate protections in regards to access to reproductive care and gender affirming care,” Anaya Robinson, public policy director at the ACLU of Colorado.

“When we erode rights and access for a particular community, it’s just a matter of time before that erosion starts to touch other communities.”

Jimmy Monto, a Democratic city councilor in Syracuse, New York, led the charge to eliminate Flock Safety’s contract in his city.

“Syracuse has a very large immigrant population, a very large new American population, refugees that have resettled and been resettled here. So it’s a very sensitive issue,” Monto said, adding that license plate readers allow anyone reviewing the data to determine someone’s immigration status without a warrant.

“When we sign a contract with someone who is collecting data on the citizens who live in a city, we have to be hyper-focused on exactly what they are doing while we’re also giving police departments the tools that they need to also solve homicides, right?” Monto said.

“Certainly, if license plate readers are helpful in that way, I think the scope is right. But we have to make sure that that’s what we’re using it for, and that the companies that we are contracting with are acting in good faith.”

Emrich, the Montana lawmaker, said everyone should be concerned about protecting constitutional privacy rights, regardless of their political views.

“If the government is obtaining data in violation of constitutional rights, they could be violating a whole slew of individuals’ constitutional rights in pursuit of the individuals who may or may not be protected under those same constitutional rights,” he said.

Stateline reporter Shalina Chatlani can be reached at schatlani@stateline.org.

©2026 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.