The dispute surrounding Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi has shifted from viral claims to a detailed evidentiary fight, with Wisconsin authorities laying out a timeline that directly contradicts her account and now moving forward with a federal lawsuit.
At the center of the case is Naqvi’s allegation that she was detained for roughly 40 hours by federal immigration authorities, beginning at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and ending in Wisconsin. The story spread quickly online, drawing comparisons from commentators to past fabricated incidents, including the widely publicized Jussie Smollett case. Federal officials, including the Department of Homeland Security, pushed back early, calling the claims false.
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt has now presented what he describes as a fully documented timeline built from multiple sources: federal inspection records, hotel receipts, surveillance footage, and message logs. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, Naqvi entered secondary screening at O’Hare on March 5 at 10:46 a.m. and was released less than an hour later, at 11:42 a.m. There is no record, officials say, of any detention beyond that point.
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
Just over an hour after her release, records show Naqvi checking into a Hampton Inn & Suites in Rosemont, Illinois, at 1:17 p.m. होटल billing documents and transaction logs place her there continuously through March 8—the same period during which she claimed to be in custody. Investigators also cite WhatsApp messages sent during that window, describing routine activities like ordering food and discussing daily plans, further anchoring her location at the hotel.
Schmidt emphasized the inconsistencies with a series of blunt observations, including references in the messages to amenities that do not exist in any of the alleged detention facilities. The claim that she was held in Dodge County, he stated, is unsupported by any booking records, transfer logs, or coordination with other agencies.
Her eventual presence in Wisconsin, authorities say, came via a voluntary trip on March 7. Surveillance footage, license plate data, and witness statements show her traveling freely, including a stop at a gas station in Slinger early that morning—timing that conflicts with her claim of having just been released from custody roughly 37 minutes away.
The lawsuit also targets public statements made by Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, who amplified the allegations and accused local officials of a cover-up. Schmidt disputes those claims directly, stating that the evidence shows no detention occurred and that the narrative presented publicly was “not physically possible.”
Beyond the immediate dispute, Schmidt has focused on the broader fallout. He described a surge of backlash against his office, including hostile messages and accusations that his staff acted improperly. The lawsuit, he indicated, is aimed not only at addressing the specific claims but also the reputational damage caused by what he characterizes as a rapidly amplified and unverified narrative.
