United Airlines employee threatens to call ICE on Bay Area family at SFO - NBC News

What the report says

NBC Bay Area reported that a San Ramon, California, family returned from Montreal with concerns about possible immigration enforcement after a United Airlines employee at San Francisco International Airport threatened to call ICE during a dispute over a ticketing problem. The incident, which occurred July 14 at a United counter at SFO, was captured on video that later circulated widely online, according to the report.

Julio Varela told NBC Bay Area that his family was trying to leave for Canada when they sought help correcting his daughter’s ticket, saying her last name had mistakenly been entered as a middle name during booking. Varela said a United representative had previously advised the family to arrive early so airport staff could address the error. After a long wait, he said another airline worker appeared close to fixing the issue before a United employee intervened and refused to assist.

Varela said he began recording after the exchange became tense and asked for the employee’s name so he could file a complaint. In the video described by NBC Bay Area, the worker can be heard suggesting ICE be called and then saying Varela did not act like a citizen. Varela, who said he is a U.S. citizen, also alleged the employee struck his hand and phone during the confrontation.

United Airlines told NBC Bay Area it was reviewing the interaction and had no further comment. The employee’s union said it was aware of the video but had not verified it, adding that the remarks shown did not represent the IAM Union’s values. SFO officials had not responded to the outlet’s requests for comment, and NBC Bay Area said it was unclear whether the family encountered any further issues on arrival.