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 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 denounced the actions of federal authorities, stating, “We don’t want ICE here and when ICE descends on our communities, it only creates fear.” Several Democratic candidates for California governor echoed this sentiment, criticizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in response to the video.
The video sparked worries following Trump's announcement of ICE's airport deployments, with many TSA officers quitting or calling in sick amidst the government shutdown. ICE was indeed spotted at several airports, but the San Francisco airport reported no such activity due to its use of private contractors for screening.
Airport officials believe this incident was isolated, with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie describing it as upsetting. DHS indicated that the arrest transpired before ICE's deployment to assist TSA amidst reports of long lines at airports.
