Somali-American woman behind ‘bananas and rice’ remark charged as federal arrests mount in Minneapolis

A Somali American woman who went viral for describing her identity as "bananas and rice" was among 16 people arrested in Minneapolis and accused of participating in a riot, as federal authorities escalated enforcement after clashes with protesters.

The woman, Nasra Ahmed, 23, of Minnesota, rose to national prominence after remarks she made during a Jan. 21 news conference comparing Somali American identity to a cultural mix she described as "bananas and rice," a phrase that quickly spread across social media, Fox News reported.




"It’s kind of like bananas and rice," Ahmed said. "People don’t think you can eat bananas with rice, but that’s what it’s like to be Somali and American."

Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday she was in Minneapolis as federal authorities stepped up enforcement after recent unrest involving federal law enforcement, announcing the arrest of 16 people accused of assaulting or impeding federal agents.

"I am on the ground in Minneapolis today," Bondi wrote on X. "Federal agents have arrested 16 Minnesota rioters for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement — people who have been resisting and impeding our federal law enforcement rights.

"We expect more arrests to come," Bondi added. "I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law."

Bondi also shared the names and images of those charged under a federal law that makes it a crime to assault, resist or impede federal officers while they are performing their official duties.

Those named include Christina Rank, Abdikadir Noor, Madeline Tschida, Nitzana Flores, Helicity Borowska, Quentin Williams, William Vermie, Paul Johnson, Gillian Etherington, Joshua Doyle, Kirubele Adbebe, Margaret Sager, Ilan Wilson-Soler, Ahmed, Alice Valentine and Matrim Charlebois.

The confrontations intensified after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old American citizen Alex Pretti, who was killed Jan. 24 by Border Patrol agents during federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.

The shooting, the second fatal encounter involving federal agents in the city this month, fuelled ongoing protests and heightened tensions between demonstrators and law enforcement.

An ICU nurse, Pretti appeared to be trying to help a woman who agents had knocked to the ground when he was sprayed with an irritant and shoved down, according to video and witness accounts. An agent was later seen removing his lawfully owned gun from his waistband before other agents fired several shots, killing him.

The incident followed unrest earlier this month over the ICE-involved killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.

Justice Department officials said protecting federal agents became a priority amid rising confrontations during protests and enforcement actions.