Video footage of federal officers detaining a crying woman at San Francisco International Airport drew outrage Monday from local officials, although it was unrelated to President Donald Trump's deployment of immigration officers to short-staffed airports during a partial government shutdown.
One video posted on social media showed a woman crying and yelling as officers held her down and attempted to handcuff her while her child looked on. The Department
of Homeland Security said in an email that officers arrested Angelina Lopez-Jimenez and Wendy Godinez-Jimenez at the airport Sunday as the family had an outstanding final order of removal to Guatemala from 2019.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco and candidate for Congress, held a news conference Monday outside the airport to denounce the actions of federal authorities. Several Democratic candidates for California governor also sharply criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in response to the video.
“We don’t want ICE here and when ICE descends on our communities, it only creates fear,” Wiener said.
On social media, the footage generated concerns over Trump's move to place ICE officers at airports as many Transportation Security Administration officers have quit or are calling out sick after weeks of working without pay. ICE officers were spotted Monday at several airports after Trump said he would deploy them unless Democrats agree to a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats say they are holding out until the administration makes reforms in the wake of a crackdown in Minnesota that led to the fatal shootings of two protesters.
San Francisco International Airport is not among airports where ICE officers are expected, airport officials said. That's because the airport uses private contractors to screen passengers so it is not affected by the current impasse in Congress.
“We believe this is an isolated incident and have no reason to suspect broader enforcement action at SFO,” airport spokesman Doug Yakel said in a statement.
While being escorted to the international terminal for processing, Lopez-Jimenez attempted to flee and resisted law enforcement officers, an unnamed DHS spokesperson said in an email. DHS typically has offices or processing facilities at international airport terminals. ICE plans to return the family to Guatemala, the statement said.
“This arrest occurred BEFORE ICE officers were even deployed to bolster TSA efforts to help American travelers who are facing hours long lines across the country,” the statement said.
In video of the detention, the officers ignored repeated requests by bystanders to see their identification badges. They were not in uniform, and at one point an officer tells the crowd to step back. Other videos show a sizable crowd of onlookers, many of them filming. One video appears to show the woman eventually being pushed away in a wheelchair with the child walking behind.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and a spokesperson for the airport said they believe this was an isolated incident and not indicative of a broader immigration crackdown. Lurie, a Democrat, called the incident “upsetting.”
