Supporters of Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi, a 28-year-old woman from Skokie, have stopped commenting after federal and local officials denied her claims that she was detained by authorities at multiple facilities in Illinois and Wisconsin. The situation developed after Naqvi said she was held for several days following her arrival at O’Hare Airport from Istanbul last week, according to a March 13 report.
The case drew attention because it involved allegations of the detention of a U.S. citizen and raised concerns about constitutional rights. Several political candidates and officials initially spoke out on Naqvi’s behalf but have since declined further comment as law enforcement agencies refuted the story.
Naqvi’s supporters originally claimed that she and five others were detained by Customs and Border Protection agents at O’Hare for 30 hours before being transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, then to Dodge County Jail in Wisconsin. They said the group spent nearly 43 hours in custody before being released. Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, who is running for Congress, spoke at a press conference alongside Naqvi’s family members and other candidates. “No one should need to have an elected official have to further someone’s voice when their constitutional rights are being impeded on,” Morrison said.
However, Border Patrol spokesperson Harry Fones disputed these claims, stating that Naqvi arrived at O’Hare on March 5 and left customs within 90 minutes without being taken into custody or transferred to ICE. The Department of Homeland Security later posted security footage screenshots showing Naqvi leaving customs inspection about 90 minutes after her arrival. Both the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Broadview Police confirmed they did not find Naqvi at the suburban Chicago facility when asked by her family. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office also stated there was no record of her being booked or released from its jail during the alleged timeframe.
Questions about Naqvi’s employment surfaced as well; SAP SE, the German company she claimed to work for, denied any association with her despite information on her now-deleted LinkedIn profile. No details have been provided about the five people allegedly traveling with her.
Naqvi’s criminal background has added further scrutiny to her account. Court records show she previously pleaded guilty to making false accusations against a university professor and served probation before charges were dropped under a deferred prosecution agreement. She was also expelled from university following unrelated legal issues but acquitted on some charges.
As doubts over the case grew, those who initially supported Naqvi—including Morrison—have not responded to new requests for comment. Her attorney Robert Held has declined further statements, referring questions to Naqvi’s sister Sarah Afzal, who requested privacy for safety reasons: “Our family would like our privacy respected for safety concerns,” Afzal said.
