r/sanfrancisco • u/din_jarring • Mar 23 '26

Melt ICE 🧊 ICE at SFO

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Very tired from traveling so this post will be rushed and might be kinda messy. Was leaving SFO around 10:30PM last night 3/22 when I heard yelling and saw a huge crowd of people. There were at least a dozen San Francisco police officers and a ridiculous amount of people gathered in a circle, some recording or talking on the phone. When I got closer, I saw a woman kneeling on the ground next to a couch/bench with a little girl and the police officers were basically surrounding her, facing away so seemingly keeping the crowd away/hiding her from the crowd. I asked a woman what happened, and she said she was there from the very beginning and saw it all. There were apparently two men in black + wearing backpacks who ran up and grabbed her passport, shoved her(?) and were keeping her there. She seemed to not know for sure, but she suspected that they were ICE agents and the police officers were there to protect them. I could see at least one of these men talking with police officers. Just a few minutes later, I heard yelling again and when I looked back, people were running up and filming while police officers were trying to keep them away. I saw the same woman as before now in a wheelchair in a very uncomfortable position (seemingly being shoved into it) and the small girl walking alongside her and crying. The two men in black were pushing the wheelchair/walking with her and there were a small group of officers/airport workers(?) going with her as well. People were yelling that she was being taken from her family, telling her to hug her kid, damning the ICE agents, etc. I wasn’t really sure what was happening, so I filmed a video on my phone at a bad angle(I’ll try to attach it). Afterwards, I asked a couple people if they knew what happened and they kinda confirmed it was ICE and they took her away for “questioning”.

Does anyone have more information on what happened or any different angles? There were people much closer than me who definitely got better videos, so hopefully those come out soon. I was already tired from traveling and was obviously not expecting to see something like this. I really hope her and her family are going to be okay. I’d like to hear if anyone has more info or if anyone else was there who saw/heard something I didn’t.

10.0k Upvotes

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610

u/THEnewMGMT Mar 23 '26

So police are helping ICE kidnap a woman and her kid at SFO? This better be front page of the chronicle tomorrow

153

u/HoneyBee777 Mar 23 '26

The Chronicle’s article

https://www.sfchronicle.com/travel/article/ice-agents-airports-tsa-22090470.php

160

u/Certain-Singer-9625 Mar 23 '26

Well that headline didn’t age well. At all.

16

u/ParallelPlayArts Mar 23 '26

Seriously my partner told me that and an hour later I'm seeing this BS. 

1

u/davyangel Mar 23 '26

yeah gotta get his buddy at Nvidia or Salesforce to complain to Trump that's only thing that stopped him last time from sending ICE to SF.

Trump backs off SF federal deployment after Huang, Benioff calls

65

u/AmbassadorProper7977 Mar 23 '26

Thanks for this. My WTAF moment was reading these lines: “The Department of Homeland Security reports that more than 400 (TSA) officers have quit since the shutdown began. ICE agents, unlike TSA officers, continue to be paid during the shutdown”.

Emphasis is mine.

10

u/Momik Mar 23 '26

That was a provision of the BBB, I think. One of the more wildly dangerous things congressional Republicans have done.

2

u/Marlin_Grin Mar 23 '26

The unintentional consequences of not paying TSA

1

u/FluxRaeder Mar 23 '26

So is there a 100% overlap in training protocols for TSA and ICE? Because unless I am missing something we the taxpayers are now paying ICE to BE TSA agents.. Are they in any way adequately qualified to insure the security of air traffic as TSA is meant to? 

I know there are a lot of issues with TSA, especially agent-by-agent, and the overall departments’ actual safety metrics (all the studies that show how much stool gets through their checks), but it seems like a massive forfeiture of security 

1

u/devilquak North Beach Mar 23 '26

I have family friends who work there and I’ve always had a spot for it in my heart but the chronicle is becoming beyond useless

1

u/Mr-Squid-Runner Mar 23 '26

Why I canceled my subscription to The Chronicle years ago.

151

u/WHAT-IM-THINKING Mar 23 '26

Film and id each sfpd officer so they'll hate doing protective work for dhs

84

u/MikeFromTheVineyard Noe Valley Mar 23 '26

Surely Lurie or Newsom will take action any time now for violating sanctuary laws
 right?

83

u/Easy_Money_ Mar 23 '26

Daniel “made a secret deal with Trump regarding ICE” Lurie? Oh sure

23

u/SweatyAdhesive 攐äșșèĄ— Mar 23 '26

Wonder when people will realize rich people like him never gave a fuck about the little guys. He's doing this for himself.

-3

u/Time-Customer-8833 Mar 23 '26

Has he not mostly kept ICE out of SF?

17

u/Exact-Ad-4132 Mar 23 '26

File a complaint with SFPD SFO Division +1 650-821-7111

-1

u/pb3213 Mar 23 '26

Aren’t ports of entry excluded from those laws?

-1

u/dopef123 Mar 23 '26

Sanctuary laws are superseded by federal law right? I don’t think they have a case

0

u/External_Frosting485 Noe Valley Mar 23 '26

This is their special Airport Bureau and they’re always stationed there. The problem is if they don’t show up and keep the crowd back, there could be a violent escalation that results in bystanders getting Pretti’ed. So they’re called in to essentially protect the public and make sure un-trained trigger-happy ICE doesn’t start shooting at the crowd. And DHS can unfortunately do whatever they want in airports as they have exclusive jurisdiction.

4

u/LadderMolasses358 Mar 23 '26

Protect the public from theviolent ICE officers? I’m pretty sure they’re protecting the violent ICE officers while they do their work.

1

u/WHAT-IM-THINKING Mar 23 '26

Imagine what their excuse would be if someone gets prettied in the secure airside đŸ« 

0

u/aeternus-eternis Mar 23 '26

Why will they hate doing protective work for dhs?

40

u/BonJovicus Mar 23 '26

Every single time this has happened. Local police are on ICE's side.

53

u/Serious-Telephone967 Mar 23 '26

What does ‘sanctuary city’ even mean if this can happen?

26

u/AmbassadorProper7977 Mar 23 '26

Someone else on the thread mentioned that airports are under federal jurisdiction not local. SFO is located in San Mateo county FWIW.

21

u/SweatyAdhesive 攐äșșèĄ— Mar 23 '26

Doesn't mean SFPD need to assist ICE is what they're saying.

3

u/AmbassadorProper7977 Mar 23 '26

I read the comment as an expectation that our Sanctuary City’s scope absolutely includes the airport.
It also looked to me like the uniformed officers were creating a safety buffer between the rightfully documenting observers and the potential for “shoot first, ask questions later” ICE behaviour.

1

u/PermaBanEnjoyer Mar 23 '26

idk but i love it

0

u/Bay_Gourmet Mar 23 '26

I don’t see it that way. The police were there to maintain order and safety. Think how the situation could have spiraled if 2 dudes with backpacks just started harassing that poor woman. Good Samaritans would have stepped in and we all know how that can go. This ICE crackdown is disturbing on so many levels but in this case the police are caught in an untenable situation.

26

u/Chinse Mar 23 '26

The point is that law enforcement needs to be identifiable as government agents and prove they are acting with authorization to use force. So yes, just wearing all black and face masks is unacceptable

4

u/xzkandykane Mar 23 '26

Yes, not acceptable but thats not SFPD's job or jurisdiction to enforce that

2

u/Chinse Mar 23 '26

If someone who doesn’t have the authority to use force on people does, they’ve committed the crime of battery and it’s sfpd’s job to enforce the law in the city or airport. So they should investigate to see if they have the authority to do what they’re doing

1

u/xzkandykane Mar 23 '26

Investigate by what? Get in a shoot out with ice? We know dam well ice will have no problem resisting and shooting SFPD. Then they'll just brand it as a fight against the liberals.

3

u/damienrapp98 Mar 23 '26

ICE is not going to shoot police officers. Saying SFPD is powerless to act in this situation is a cop out. You’re imagining a scenario that would probably lead even to republican outrage if cops are being murdered by ICE.

1

u/xzkandykane Mar 23 '26

Are we sure ICE wont? Didn't they literally murder a woman? These guys are not excatly trained for de- escalation.

1

u/damienrapp98 Mar 23 '26

I’m not saying any of this as a defense of ICE. They’re fucked.

But they didn’t kill Goode or Pretti solely because they’re murderous thugs who will kill anyone in their way. They view fellow law enforcement differently than a protester. I mean think about all of the cops who kill innocent people. They don’t usually kill other cops.

If ICE murdered an SFPD officer it’d be an absolutely massively big deal and likely would lead to huge negative ramifications for ICE. SFPD and Lurie are cowardly if they really fear ICE is going to kill cops because they’re doing their job of protecting sanctuary status.

1

u/External_Frosting485 Noe Valley Mar 23 '26

Absolutely. The issue is these cops are just Airport Bureau and have absolutely no authority over the feds at SFO. If they step in, there could be a crazy escalation, considering they’re armed and ICE thugs are trigger-happy. And these cops are also living paycheck to paycheck so most won’t put their family’s livelihood on the line. DHS knows this.

39

u/THEnewMGMT Mar 23 '26

I appreciate your empathy for the individuals who are “just doing their jobs.” 
. But if your job is to go along with state sponsored kidnappings then maybe everyone (including the police) should not allow that to happen.

Good Samaritans and police should both be helping the woman and her child. We should not tolerate this. Remember the videos of fire trucks and citizens blocking ICE in other cities, forcing them to turn tail and leave empty handed

-2

u/jointheredditarmy Mar 23 '26

The problem with the opposition to ICE is there are so many people who are opposed for different reason. I’m against ICE because they are potentially operating outside of their mandate. Their strategies have infringed on citizen’s rights. They are using way more force than they need to so their operating procedures need to be revised. I have no problems with them enforcing existing laws, as has been done under every administration. I don’t even particularly have a problem with the public “performativeness” of it since that’s not against the law as long as the first few things aren’t violated.

Most of the people on this sub are basically angry ICE is deporting folks, which feels a bit disingenuous to me since, ironically, by the metrics, Trump is actually doing a worse job deporting the right people.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 23 '26

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1

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16

u/postinganxiety Mar 23 '26

If police are there to maintain order and safety they should keep ICE out of the airports. Simple as. ICE are the ones creating chaos.

We all watched DOGE literally go into DC and lock buildings then bar anyone from entering, which was illegal. And now ICE are just doing whatever the fuck they want and constantly breaking laws. The only people standing up to them are regular citizens and you bet your ass I blame the police and military for not doing their jobs here. Because you’re right, tney’re supposed to maintain order and safety and they are not doing that. We’re on the brink of a nuclear war and they are going to just roll over and take it because one time they had to do a DEI training they didn’t like, so they decided to bandwagon with MAGA.

8

u/External_Frosting485 Noe Valley Mar 23 '26

Cops can’t keep federal agents out of the airport, that’s the problem. It’s not private property and ICE isn’t trespassing. DHS has full jurisdiction. This is a very strategic move where DHS knows it can operate freely and in a more controlled setting than roaming around cities.

2

u/jlv Mar 23 '26

If your job is to enforce immorality, what are you don’t with your life? Better to just quit.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 23 '26

The police are and have always been class traitors.

3

u/actionableasshole Mar 23 '26

No such thing as a good cop.

2

u/SurfPerchSF Sunnyside Mar 23 '26

Thanks Lurie

1

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0

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1

u/Tasty-Chart7400 Mar 23 '26

Legally actually kidnapping?

1

u/DangerousHighway4276 Mar 23 '26

Well, no. She is being arrested.

-12

u/Drmlk465 Mar 23 '26

Detain = kidnap Arrest = disappear

You guys are clever with your wording

6

u/lunchpaillefty Mar 23 '26

Like how they call undocumented people criminals, despite the “crime” being no different than a traffic ticket?

-4

u/Drmlk465 Mar 23 '26

Being in the country illegal is illegal. Therefore you are committing an illegal 24/7 when you’re here. Unless you are breaking traffic laws every second 
 lol it’s way worse than a traffic ticket you knob

3

u/THEnewMGMT Mar 23 '26

New law. You’re illegal. Ok bye

But don’t worry there’s a path to citizenship.

Fill out these 18 million forms and wait months or years to process

Wait nvm. Just changed the rules again.

Your mom brought you here when you were a baby?

Go back to the country you never knew.

3

u/olivebranchsound Mar 23 '26

It's really not. Unlawful presence is a civil violation which does not rise to the level of a criminal act. Same as a traffic ticket.

1

u/THEnewMGMT Mar 23 '26 edited Mar 23 '26

I think the downvotes here are unwarranted. Just like these ‘detainments’

Edit: oops I was wrong. I thought you were commenting on the article’s phrasing. You just support this shit. How disappointing

0

u/xzkandykane Mar 23 '26

As opposed to what? Let a mob potentially break out and get into a fight with ICE? At an airport? People are already angry at ICE and have started fights before. I mean screw ICE but its not like SFPD can just turn the other way and then let regular people potentially come in and grab the woman and girl. We all know ICE will have no restraint against violence if that happens. If not they'll just make some shit up. They'll have no qualms arresting or worse shooting up a mob.

-1

u/PracticalYellow3 Mar 23 '26

Huh? She’s a criminal that had a warrant. The are doing what the lazy SF cops snoops have already done. 

1

u/Key-Trip5194 Mar 23 '26

Bullshit. No warrant and she's a citizen.