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🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Culture & Society

United Airlines investigates employee's ICE threat in viral video

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A United Airlines employee was filmed threatening to call ICE on a Mexican American man at San Francisco International Airport.
  • The incident occurred after a dispute over a flight ticket error, escalating when the employee recorded the passenger and made the threat.
  • United Airlines stated it is investigating the interaction.

A viral video captured a United Airlines employee at San Francisco International Airport threatening to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on a Mexican American passenger. The confrontation began when the passenger, Julio Varela, grew frustrated with airline staff over a lengthy delay in correcting an error on his daughter's ticket to Canada.

I’m asking for your name so I can report you.

— Julio VarelaVarela demands the name of the United Airlines employee after a dispute over a flight ticket.

After waiting for three hours, Varela demanded the employee's name to report her. In response, the employee began recording Varela and retorted, "Maybe we should call ICE on you. You don't act like a citizen." Varela, a naturalized U.S. citizen, challenged her to repeat the threat, leading to further heated exchanges.

Maybe we should call ICE on you. You don’t act like a citizen.

— United Airlines employeeThe employee responds to Varela's request for her name by threatening to call ICE.

United Airlines issued a statement confirming they are "looking into the interaction in this video" but offered no further details. Varela had expressed concern about potential detention by ICE upon his return to the U.S. from Montreal, though NBC News reported no issues occurred.

Call ICE on me, lady.

— Julio VarelaVarela challenges the United Airlines employee after she threatens to call ICE.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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