A truck driver with a pending asylum claim and green card application was detained by federal immigration agents at a weigh station in northern Indiana, his wife said.
Ahmed Nenni, 29, a Mauritanian national, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Indiana State Police at around 11:30 a.m. on October 16 after being stopped during a routine inspection while completing his regular delivery route, his wife said.
“His record is clean. He has never had a criminal record and was a tax-paying individual,” Elizabeth Nenni, 24, a chiropractic assistant and U.S. citizen, told Newsweek.
The Department of Homeland Security told Newsweek that Ahmed Nenni held a commercial driver’s license issued by the state of Michigan and said he was employed by Zain Express, a trucking company based in Dearborn, Michigan.
“They came to Ahmed while he was out of his vehicle and directed him to follow them. Ahmed is a law-abiding individual, so he complied,” Elizabeth Nenni said.
“I received a call from him stating he was taken by ICE and that if anything happens, not to be scared. I was extremely scared as I was in a totally different state with nothing I could do to help.”
DHS said that he entered the country unlawfully on September 15, 2023, in San Diego, and was released into the country under the Biden administration. Ahmed Nenni has a pending asylum case and a pending marriage I-130 application, according to his wife. The I-130 is the first step in the process to sponsor a family member for a green card. He has an immigration court hearing scheduled for 2027 in New York.
As the Trump administration pushes forward with plans for mass deportations, federal authorities have increasingly focused on migrant truck drivers without legal status. ICE launched “Operation Midway Blitz,” which has led to arrests in Illinois and Indiana, targeting undocumented drivers in the trucking industry. Critics say the operations disproportionately affect migrants, while supporters argue they are necessary to enforce immigration laws and maintain safety on U.S. roads. Republicans contend that truck drivers should be able to read and write in English; Elizabeth Nenni said her husband, Ahmed Nenni, meets that standard and is fluent. DHS said that ICE has arrested 140 migrant truck drivers under the operation.
Elizabeth Nenni said ICE agents shackled her husband with handcuffs, ankle cuffs, and a waist chain during his arrest.
“An ICE agent asked him if he had ever had handcuffs on him, and Ahmed said, “No, never.” And the agent responded, “Now you’re not a virgin anymore,” Elizabeth Nenni said.
Ahmed Nenni was first taken to an ICE facility in Chicago before being transferred to the Joe Corley Processing Center in Conroe, Texas.
Elizabeth Nenni said her husband was denied access to a restroom and water during a two-hour flight to Houston.
“He has been treated less than a human,” she said.
“Since he’s been detained, they have limited his food supply. He is Muslim, and with that, he is unable to eat pork. He has skipped many meals because he can’t eat pork,” she added.
Elizabeth Nenni said she has been sending money so her husband can buy food from the detention center commissary. The available items, she said, are limited to inexpensive options such as ramen noodles, canned sardines, tuna, and beef stew.
“He just accepted voluntary deportation, the lawyer said it was our best option. Waiting to hear when he will leave,” Elizabeth Nenni said.
“I believe they do everything in their power to make living conditions so terrible that the detainees have no choice but to self-deport,” she added.
Ahmed Nenni will remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings, DHS said.
“I am beyond stressed and anxious, Elizabeth Nenni said. “I just want my life to go back to normal and have my husband back. Every day I cry about our situation.”