Illinois Woman Lied About Being Detained By ICE For 2 Days: Wisconsin Authorities

SKOKIE, IL — A Skokie woman's claims that she was detained by federal immigration authorities for two days in early March were not true, according to Wisconsin law enforcement.

Last month, Summer Sundas "Sunny" Naqvi, who was born in Evanston and lives in Skokie, named Dodge County, Wisconsin, as one of three places she was detained after returning to O'Hare airport from a work trip to Turkey on March 5.

However, the trip was never related to work, according to Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt. The Dodge County investigation uncovered that the company Naqvi claimed to work for, a German software company, had no record of her ever being employed there.

According to Schmidt, Naqvi's trip to Turkey was for the purpose of getting a "medical procedure," and was funded by a man who was romantically involved with Naqvi. The man contacted the Dodge County Sheriff's Office after Naqvi's claims were spread publicly nationwide.

"There are plenty of other ways to make a living rather than defraud individuals of their hard-earned money. Just because you have the ability to sway somebody and make them fall in love with you and take their money doesn't mean it's the right thing to do," Schmidt said. "It is very disappointing that we have individuals in our society who would go to that extent to scam somebody out of this kind of money and then to make some big hoax that has gone nationwide."

Naqvi said she and five others were detained by federal agents and were held at O'Hare before being brought to the Broadview detention center.

Family and supporters of Naqvi — including Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, who held a public press conference at the time to call for her release — said she was then transported to the Dodge County Jail in Wisconsin.

Naqvi claimed she was released in the early morning hours of March 7 and then hitchhiked to a hotel in Beaver Dam, where her family met her.

The Department of Homeland Security previously called Naqvi's claims blatantly false, saying Customs and Border Protection officers referred Naqvi for additional inspection of her baggage based on law enforcement checks, and she was released within 90 minutes of her arrival at O'Hare.

And police in Wisconsin say that according to text messages with the man who contacted authorities, along with hotel records, Naqvi left O'Hare at approximately 11:42 a.m. and checked into a nearby hotel in Rosemont after 1 p.m.

Hotel records obtained by the Dodge County Sheriff's Office indicated that Naqvi stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites there from March 5 to March 8, after her alleged release from law enforcement custody.

The man told investigators that Naqvi asked him to drive her to another hotel in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, in the early morning hours of March 7. She was seen on surveillance video at a gas station on the way to the hotel at approximately 5:38 a.m. and is later seen on camera in the lobby at the Holiday Inn Express in Beaver Dam at 6:36 a.m., police said.

Naqvi was later picked up by her family at the hotel and returned to Illinois.

Schmidt said that his investigation into Naqvi's claims showed a lack of evidence and an inconsistency with verified information.

"These allegations are serious, but they are not supported by evidence. We have reviewed the records, we have established the timeline, and the facts are clear—this did not happen. Our responsibility is to ensure the public has accurate information and confidence in the integrity of law enforcement," Schmidt said.

Schmidt further noted that law enforcement investigations in Skokie involving Naqvi resulted in findings that her reports were unsubstantiated. These instances include allegations of sexual assault, which were later determined to be false.

Schmidt filed a lawsuit against Naqvi and Cook County Commissioner Morrison for defamation against the Sheriff's Office. Schmidt claims Morrison's assertions, stated publicly at a press conference and on social media, that law enforcement was involved in a "cover-up," garnered widespread media attention that harmed Schmidt's reputation.

Patch reached out to Morrison, who provided a statemet:

“It is my understanding that a lawsuit has been filed. I have not seen it. And if a suit has in fact been filed, I cannot comment on pending litigation.”