A Wisconsin sheriff has filed a lawsuit over what he says was a completely fabricated story about immigration detention, a case that has drawn comparisons online to the Jussie Smollett hoax.
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt announced the legal action after investigating claims by Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi, a U.S. citizen from Skokie, Illinois, who said she had been detained by federal immigration authorities for roughly 40 hours. Her account, which began circulating publicly last month, alleged she was stopped at O’Hare International Airport, transferred to a facility in Illinois, and later moved across state lines to Wisconsin, where she was held in the Dodge County Jail before being released without documentation.
According to Schmidt, none of that happened.
After reviewing records from federal, state, and local agencies, investigators concluded there was no evidence Naqvi had ever been detained in Dodge County or transferred there by immigration officials. “There is no record of booking, detention, or release involving Ms. Naqvi in Dodge County,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that there was no coordination with any outside agencies that would support her claims.
Instead, authorities say the evidence points to a very different timeline. Records from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show Naqvi was briefly in secondary inspection at O’Hare on March 5 and released less than an hour later. Shortly after that, hotel records place her at a Hampton Inn in Rosemont, Illinois, where she checked in early that afternoon and stayed for several days.
Investigators say those records are backed up by surveillance footage and transaction logs, as well as WhatsApp messages sent during the same period. In those messages, Naqvi appears to be going about her normal routine—discussing meals, work, and even arranging to order food—while she later claimed she was in custody.
Her eventual trip to Wisconsin on March 7 also appears to have been voluntary. Authorities cite license plate reader data, surveillance video, and witness accounts showing her traveling with another person, not in law enforcement custody. At one point that morning, she was captured on camera at a gas station in Slinger, Wisconsin—timing that investigators say doesn’t line up with her claim that she had just been released from the Dodge County Jail.
You have to see it to believe it!
Dodge County sheriff is suing a local woman for $1 MILLION over an ICE detention hoax.
Should the sheriff's lawsuit against Sundas Naqvi proceed for her alleged false claims of detention?U.S. citizen Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi, 28, gained national attention last month when she and a group of supporters, including Cook County, Illinois… pic.twitter.com/72BoQc0YXm
— I Meme Therefore I Am
Dodge County sheriff is suing a local woman for $1 MILLION over an ICE detention hoax.
(@ImMeme0) Schmidt was blunt in his assessment, saying the timeline presented publicly was “not physically possible.” He also pushed back on claims amplified by others, including a Cook County commissioner who suggested Naqvi and several others had been transported across state lines by immigration agents. The lawsuit disputes those statements and accuses officials of spreading false information that damaged the sheriff’s office.
The case quickly gained attention online, with some commentators comparing it to past hoaxes. The Department of Homeland Security had already described Naqvi’s claims as false.
Schmidt said the fallout has been significant, with his office facing backlash and accusations of dishonesty. He said false claims like these can divert resources and erode trust, which is partly why he decided to pursue legal action.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities say the findings have been shared with other agencies, including the FBI and Illinois State Police. It’s unclear whether criminal charges will follow, but for now, the lawsuit is moving forward as officials try to address what they say was a damaging and entirely unfounded story.
