ICE agents seen ‘terrorizing’ woman and child at SFO
Footage shows plainclothes agents restraining a woman while a child cries and bystanders demand answers.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents drew public outrage at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday night after restraining a crying woman in front of her child, according to multiple videos recorded by bystanders.
In footage shared widely online, travelers gathered near a boarding gate as the scene unfolded, many raising their phones to record while others shouted toward a line of San Francisco Police Department officers positioned nearby. The officers appeared to form a barrier between the public and federal agents as the encounter escalated.
🎥 Plainclothes agents restrain a woman at San Francisco International Airport as bystanders demand identification and a child cries.
Behind that line, two men in plainclothes were seen dragging the woman toward a blue wheelchair as she resisted. In another angle, the same agents forced her to the ground while she cried out. At one point, handcuffs could be seen hanging from her wrist as she struggled against restraint.
Bystanders reacted in real time. “Leave her alone,” one person shouted. Another voice demanded, “What are you doing?” Several in the crowd repeatedly called for the agents to identify themselves and provide badge numbers. The lack of visible identification drew immediate attention, with multiple people questioning who was carrying out the detention.
In the background, a young girl with braided hair could be heard sobbing as the woman was restrained. The child remained within view of the incident as it unfolded, her cries cutting through the noise of the crowd and the confrontation.
The scene continued to intensify as more travelers stopped to watch. Some recorded from different angles, capturing the woman’s attempts to pull away as the agents maintained control. Others continued to challenge the presence of plainclothes officers, raising concerns about the absence of clear identification and authority in a crowded public space.
San Francisco International Airport spokesperson Doug Yakel said federal officers were transporting two individuals on an outbound flight when the incident occurred. He described it as an isolated event and stated that the airport had not been notified of the enforcement action in advance.
“The airport’s role is to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the facility for all passengers and staff,” Yakel said.
The San Francisco Police Department confirmed that officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 10:00 p.m. and determined the situation involved federal immigration officials. In a statement, SFPD said its officers were present to maintain public safety and reiterated that, consistent with city policy, the department does not assist in the enforcement of civil federal immigration laws.
California state Sen. Scott Wiener reposted video of the incident and condemned the agency’s actions. “ICE was at SFO airport last night, terrorizing a mother while her daughter watched,” he wrote.
Toward the end of one video, the woman was lifted and moved away as officers surrounded her and the child. The girl remained close as they were escorted out of the gate area. Members of the crowd continued to shout as they exited, with one person calling out, “We’ll remember your faces.”
The footage ends without the agents responding to repeated demands for identification or explanation. The child’s cries remain audible as the group disappears from view, leaving behind a crowd still recording, still reacting, and still asking the same unanswered questions.
If this is what accountability looks like, it will not change without pressure.
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The screams of a woman being violently manhandled by two ICE agents are haunting. My heart breaks for her, and I’m praying she and her daughter are safe. And the truth is: no one is safe in ICE custody.