A Minneapolis Uber driver, Ahmed Bin Hassan, recounted his harrowing experience with Border Patrol agents who accosted him while driving for the ride-hailing service. The encounter happened just hours after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in a separate incident at the airport.
Bin Hassan described how he was watching videos of the shooting on his phone when a knock on the window signaled the arrival of a Border Patrol officer. Bin Hassan, who is Somali American and has lived in the US for nearly two decades, responded to the officer's question about what he wanted with a calm but firm tone. The incident involved over a dozen masked ICE agents who arrived at the scene shortly after.
Bin Hassan stated that during his confrontation with the Border Patrol agents, one of them claimed Bin Hassan "would know" the agent if they were from Somalia, due to their accents being different. In response, Bin Hassan told the officer, "I can hear you don't have the same accent as me."
"I knew what he meant," Bin Hassan said, describing how the ICE officers' motivation for accosting him was rooted in racist stereotypes and xenophobia. He claimed that despite his calm demeanor, he had a deep desire to confront the agents and make them say their racism out loud.
Despite facing possible violence from the Border Patrol, Bin Hassan refused to back down and asked them for their IDs, which they were unable or unwilling to provide. The confrontation between Bin Hassan and the ICE agents lasted several minutes before they left the scene.
Bin Hassan expressed that he wants to continue driving for Uber without any issues, stating, "I just wanted them to get out of my way so I could continue to work, earn an honest day's living." He also confirmed that there are no plans to change his job as a result of the incident.
Bin Hassan described how he was watching videos of the shooting on his phone when a knock on the window signaled the arrival of a Border Patrol officer. Bin Hassan, who is Somali American and has lived in the US for nearly two decades, responded to the officer's question about what he wanted with a calm but firm tone. The incident involved over a dozen masked ICE agents who arrived at the scene shortly after.
Bin Hassan stated that during his confrontation with the Border Patrol agents, one of them claimed Bin Hassan "would know" the agent if they were from Somalia, due to their accents being different. In response, Bin Hassan told the officer, "I can hear you don't have the same accent as me."
"I knew what he meant," Bin Hassan said, describing how the ICE officers' motivation for accosting him was rooted in racist stereotypes and xenophobia. He claimed that despite his calm demeanor, he had a deep desire to confront the agents and make them say their racism out loud.
Despite facing possible violence from the Border Patrol, Bin Hassan refused to back down and asked them for their IDs, which they were unable or unwilling to provide. The confrontation between Bin Hassan and the ICE agents lasted several minutes before they left the scene.
Bin Hassan expressed that he wants to continue driving for Uber without any issues, stating, "I just wanted them to get out of my way so I could continue to work, earn an honest day's living." He also confirmed that there are no plans to change his job as a result of the incident.
bin hassan is literally a hero for not giving in to the racist agents 
i mean can u even imagine being stopped by border patrol just because of your accent? like what's next they gonna ask you where u're from? 
and the fact that they couldn't provide ids is rediculous 
this is exactly why we need more people like bin hassan standing up against xenophobia and racism 
he deserves so much credit for staying calm and assertive in the face of hostility, i hope his story helps raise awareness about these issues and inspires others to take a stand 
. I'm so proud of Ahmed for standing up to them and refusing to be intimidated. He has every right to ask for his ID and know who he's dealing with. I hope the authorities take this incident seriously and take action against these racist agents. We need more people like Ahmed who are willing to speak out against injustice 
... it takes so much courage 2 confront ppl who r tryna bully u just bcz u r from somalia or from the wrong side of the tracks 
. anyway, bin hassan seems like a cool dude who just wants 2 do his job w/o no drama, can we get more ppl like him? 
This is getting out of hand... 
I hope Uber takes action to ensure his safety and the safety of other drivers like him. 
, I would've been shaking in my boots if I were in his shoes. And seriously, who doesn't want to see these agents' IDs?! 
it's just so frustrating when you know someone's rights are being trampled on... anyway, gotta give props to Ahmed for standing up for himself like that 
. And the fact that they wouldn't even show ID? That's just messed up.
. But I'm glad Ahmed Bin Hassan stood up for himself - that takes a lot of courage. It's time we start calling out racism and xenophobia for what they are: problems.
I don't think anyone should have to deal with racial profiling like that just because they're driving for Uber. It's like, what even is that? 
. It's just so unfair that people get treated like this in a country where everyone's supposed to be equal. 
Ugh, what is this world coming to? Like, these Border Patrol agents can't even be bothered to do their research on who they're stopping for being a Somali American Uber driver... it's just racist stereotypes, man! 
And yeah, it's super convenient that they couldn't even be bothered to show their IDs... clearly they were just trying to avoid getting caught or something 
.
like what even is that logic?! I mean, it's not like he was trying to be all dramatic and stuff, just calmly asking them for their IDs... honestly, this whole thing just sounds like a huge case of racist profiling 
. I feel so bad for him, driving around and getting treated like this because of his ethnicity 
. I'm just glad Ahmed Bin Hassan stood up for himself and didn't back down 
my friend's cousin is somali american and has been here since he was a kid so it's crazy that some agents think they can just go around making assumptions based on accents or where ppl are from we need more people like ahmed bin hassan speaking out against racism and xenophobia - maybe then ppl will start to listen 
. And can we talk about how messed up it is that our immigration system is so broken that people are getting shot in the airport and still being picked on by border patrol 
.
The fact that Ahmed Bin Hassan was targeted and profiled by Border Patrol agents because of his accent is a clear case of xenophobia and racism 
. And the fact that ICE is still operating under this kind of bias is just unacceptable 
. We need to hold our law enforcement agencies accountable for their actions and work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect 
. We need to have serious conversations about these issues and work towards changing policies that perpetuate inequality 
.