The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has rejected allegations that US citizen Sunny Naqvi was detained for more than 40 hours after arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Describing the allegations made by Naqvi’s family and legal representatives as “blatantly false”, DHS stated that official records and surveillance footage show she was processed and allowed to leave within about 90 minutes.
What DHS official records say
In posts shared on X, DHS said Naqvi entered the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing area at 10.21 am on March 5, 2026.
HERE ARE THE RECEIPTS:
As we said Sunny Naqvi entered the CBP area at 10:21 am.
Surveillance footage from O’Hare CLEARLY shows her entering secondary inspection at 10:46 a.m., and leaving secondary to the public area at 11:42 a.m.
Her claims of spending 43 hours in DHS custody… https://t.co/GkqWBLS6sn pic.twitter.com/SWOJmMulcy
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 11, 2026
According to the agency, she was referred for secondary inspection and entered the inspection area at 10.46 am. Surveillance footage, the department said, shows her leaving secondary inspection and returning to the public area at 11.42 am.
The department said CBP officers referred her to secondary inspection for additional law enforcement checks and a baggage examination. It added that Naqvi departed the CBP area within roughly 90 minutes of her arrival in the United States and was not taken into custody or transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for detention.
The passenger’s claims are blatantly FALSE.
Sunny Naqvi, arrived at O’Hare at 10:21 a.m. on March 5, 2026. CBP officers referred her to Secondary, for additional inspection based on law enforcement checks and conducted a baggage exam. Ms. Naqvi departed CBP within 90 minutes of… https://t.co/bzI2agd2FV
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 10, 2026
What Sunny Naqi’s family said
Earlier reports cited Naqvi’s family and legal representatives as alleging that she had been detained by federal authorities for approximately 43 hours after landing at O’Hare. According to those accounts, officials had cited what was described as a “curious travel history” during questioning.
Reports also said Naqvi’s relatives believed she had initially been held at the airport before being transferred to an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, and later to a detention centre in Dodge County, Wisconsin. DHS has disputed those claims, stating that she was never taken into custody or transferred to ICE detention.
Who is Sunny Naqvi?
According to reports, Naqvi — whose full name is Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi — is a 28-year-old US citizen born in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in the Chicago suburbs. She had been travelling overseas with five colleagues before returning to the United States.
The group had originally planned to travel to India, but their plans changed after some members were reportedly unable to board their flight. They subsequently travelled to Bulgaria and Austria before returning to the United States via Turkey.
All six travellers were of Pakistani descent. Three were US citizens, including Naqvi, while the other three were Pakistani nationals who were lawful permanent residents of the United States.
Story continues below this ad
Family members had earlier said they lost contact with Naqvi during the period they believed she was being held by authorities. They also said that at one point her phone’s location appeared to show her at the Broadview ICE facility before it later stopped updating.
Federal authorities maintain that the situation involved only routine secondary inspection procedures at the airport. The department’s public statement and the surveillance timeline were released in response to the claims that Naqvi had been detained for more than 40 hours.
