DODGE COUNTY, Wis. — Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt files a $1-million dollar federal civil lawsuit against an Illinois woman and the Cook County Commissioner for false detention claims.
Schmidt addressed public allegations by 28-year-old Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi of Skokie, Illinois, who claimed she was detained at O’Hare International Airport on March 5, transported to the Broadview ICE detention facility, and then transported across state lines to the Dodge County jail in Wisconsin. She alleges that she was held there and then later released.
Schmidt disputed those claims, saying that “Sundas ​Naqvi ​was ​not ​detained ​by ​ICE ​at ​any ​time. ​She ​was ​not ​transported ​to ​Broadview ​Detention ​Facility. ​​She ​was ​not ​transported ​across ​state ​lines ​to ​Dodge ​county, by ​law ​enforcement ​anyway. ​​She ​was ​not ​in ​the ​custody ​of ​the ​Dodge ​County ​Sheriff’s ​Office. ​She ​was ​not ​released ​to ​the ​street ​from ​the ​Dodge ​County ​Sheriff’s ​Office.”
He is also suing Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison after Naqvi’s claims sparked national media attention and a protest that he organized.
Schmidt presented a comprehensive review of records and evidence, including no record of Naqvi being booked or detained in Dodge County, and no transfer requests to any federal or out-of-state agency.
He also presented the timeline of Naqvi’s activity that aligned with social media postings from the Department of Homeland Security from March 5, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection records confirm Naqvi entered secondary inspection at approximately 10:46 a.m., and was released at approximately 11:42 a.m.
HERE ARE THE RECEIPTS:
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 11, 2026
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
Schmidt also provided evidence showed Naqvi traveled to Wisconsin on March 7, accompanied by a man who later told Schmidt that he drove Naqvi to a Holiday Inn in Beaver Dam, and ultimately spent $25,000 on her.
“These allegations are serious, but they are not supported by evidence,” said Schmidt. “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.”
He also noted that prior law enforcement investigations involving allegations made by Naqvi resulted in claims that were unsubstantiated, including sexual assault allegations in which the reported crime was later determined to be a false report.
Schmidt told Wisconsin’s Afternoon News that he is not aware of Naqvi’s motives for making these claims. He also could not identify any criminal charges that could be filed in Wisconsin, so the reason for filing civil litigation in federal court was to hold Naqvi accountable for these false allegation and their impact on himself and his department.
In a statement from the Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison:
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.
