As ICE’s presence around the US grows, California‘s San Francisco International Airport has been a recent point of concern for the organization. ICE was there on July 22, 2026, and had an altercation with a Ukrainian woman who supposedly fled her country due to the Ukraine/Russia war.
It is largely believed that the woman was in the United States under temporary humanitarian programs. However, it has been alleged that her particular visa had expired over a decade ago, which is what led to ICE confronting her. Some are calling it a lawful detainment, while others have labeled ICE’s actions an illegal abduction.
The clip, which was posted on Facebook by Richmond City Councilmember Doria Robinson, shows the woman pleading with ICE agents as they take her into custody from within the airport. The video depicts the woman screaming that the agents are choking her, as ICE personnel in plainclothes apprehend her. The fact that the agents were not wearing official ICE attire led many to believe that the clip is fake or has been misinterpreted. However, DHS has confirmed the incident is real, and the agents in question do work for ICE.
Reactions Are Mixed to the Alleged ICE Abduction in California
Unsurprisingly, the internet swiftly split into two groups, as some expressed support and concern for the woman, while others applauded ICE and hoped for more detainments to occur. Most of the discussion seemed to center around whether or not the woman is in the country legally. One person wrote, “It’s not abduction when they’re sending you home.” Meanwhile, someone else argued, “It’s truly distressing to witness this.“
Another point of debate was the fact that the woman said the agents were choking her. A Facebook user expressed anger on the woman’s behalf with, “Every single goon who has participated in the vicious Gestapo moves is looking at prosecution and serious prison time.” However, another person countered, “If she’s talking, she’s not choking. She’s making a scene to help herself out of this.“
At the same time, many people chose to ignore the specifics of the situation and simply used the clip as a catalyst to express their view on the Trump administration’s immigration policies. One such example of the types of comments being left is, “America has become lawless under Trump, the fascist! People continue to be arrested without warrants in total disregard of the law.” On the other hand, many wrote sentiments such as, “I love it! Thank you, ICE. We appreciate all you do.“
As of the time of writing, the woman is still in ICE custody while removal proceedings are pending.
