![Anti-ICE Karen Confronts Agents as They Arrest Crying Illegal Alien in San Fran Airport [WATCH]](https://www.right2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Anti-ICE-Karen-Confronts-Agents-as-They-Arrest-Crying-Illegal-Alien.jpg)
A video showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detaining a woman at San Francisco International Airport circulated widely online Sunday night, prompting criticism from bystanders and renewed attention on federal immigration enforcement activities at transportation hubs.
The incident occurred around 10 p.m. inside Terminal 3, where ICE agents were seen placing a woman in handcuffs as she cried.
A young girl standing next to her was also seen crying while several passengers recorded the encounter and shouted at officers.
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“This is un-American,” one passenger is heard yelling in the video.
“What is your badge number? What is your name?” another individual filming the scene asked as an agent held the crying woman by the head.
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According to the Department of Homeland Security, the woman was part of a family of illegal Guatemalan migrants who have had removal orders in place since 2019.
DHS said the arrest was part of a targeted enforcement operation involving family members who were being transported on an outbound flight.
Officials stated that during the process of being escorted, the woman broke free and attempted to run.
DHS said she resisted arrest when agents attempted to restrain her again.
The scene escalated as passengers continued to film and confront officers, with some yelling and booing as agents worked to regain control of the situation.
At one point, members of the crowd called local police.
San Francisco police responded to the scene and were present during the detention. However, the department did not assist or intervene in the arrest, which was carried out by federal authorities.
ICE agents were ultimately able to leave the airport with the woman in custody.
Officials emphasized that the incident was not connected to President Donald Trump’s directive to deploy ICE agents at select airports to assist with easing wait times at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.
San Francisco International Airport is not among the locations included in that effort.
Airport officials also confirmed that the enforcement action was unrelated to any broader operational changes at the facility.
“We understand federal officers were transporting two individuals on an outbound flight when this incident occurred. We believe this is an isolated incident and have no reason to suspect broader enforcement action at SFO,” airport spokesman Doug Yakel said.
Yakel added that airport operations were not affected by the incident.
“The airport’s role is to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the facility for all passengers and staff. We were not involved in or notified in advance of this incident. Airport operations continued without disruption, and there was no impact to flights or passenger processing,” Yakel said.
San Francisco operates as a sanctuary jurisdiction, and local law enforcement did not take part in the federal immigration enforcement action.
The identities of the woman and the child seen in the video have not been publicly released.
San Francisco International Airport differs from many major airports in that it does not rely on TSA personnel for its security checkpoints.
Instead, it uses private contractors to conduct passenger screening, a system that has allowed the airport to avoid some of the disruptions tied to the ongoing partial government shutdown affecting federal staffing.
Federal officials have maintained that the enforcement action at the airport was specific to individuals with existing removal orders and not part of any broader initiative targeting travelers at the facility.
