SFO detention of mother and child raises alarms over TSA assisting ICE
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ICE is not aiding TSA at SFO because airport screening is handled by private contractors. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
The detention of a mother and her daughter Sunday at San Francisco International Airport that went viral occurred after TSA shared their travel information with federal immigration authorities, the New York Times reported this week.
Why it matters: The incident has intensified fears that the Trump administration is turning airports into immigration enforcement hubs.
State of play: The Times reported that TSA has been sharing passenger information with ICE, allowing agents to identify travelers with outstanding deportation orders before they board flights.
- The practice has sparked backlash in recent days after footage of 41-year-old Angelina Lopez-Jimenez and her daughter Wendy Godinez-Lopez being forcefully detained spread on social media.
- The video shows what appears to be two officers restraining and dragging a visibly distressed woman as a young girl is seen in the background crying.
Lopez-Jimenez and her 9-year-old daughter were preparing to board a flight to Miami on Sunday evening when plainclothes ICE agents detained them in Terminal 3. They have since been deported back to Guatemala, per government documents obtained by the Times.
- Lopez-Jimenez, who had a final order of removal dating back to 2019, was living in Contra Costa County with her daughter and had no criminal record, though she entered the U.S. without legal authorization.
- The Department of Homeland Security confirmed their identities on Monday, stating that the incident was unrelated to broader ICE deployments at airports nationwide and that Lopez-Jimenez attempted to flee while being escorted for processing.
- SFO has not been identified as one of 14 airports where ICE is assisting with TSA operations amid government shutdown-related screening delays.
What they're saying: Airport officials "have no reason to suspect broader enforcement action," SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel told Axios this week.
- "We were not involved in or notified in advance of this incident," he said in a statement referring to Lopez-Jimenez's detainment.
- Mayor Daniel Lurie in an Instagram post emphasized that local authorities do not assist with ICE per the city's sanctuary policies.
State Sen. Scott Wiener called the Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions at airports "despicable and outrageous" in a statement Wednesday.
- "We don't yet know if this is the first time this has happened at SFO, but a few things are clear: TSA's close collaboration with ICE means that any person without legal status needs to think very carefully before traveling through SFO or other airports," he said.
Friction point: The incident has raised concerns from advocates and immigration attorneys over whether local police officers improperly aided in the arrest, potentially violating the state's sanctuary law, Mission Local reports.
- More than officers were seen in the video at the scene. SFPD officer Robert Rueca told Mission Local they were responding to a 911 call.