SAN FRANCISCO — A confrontation at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday night sparked immediate public outcry after widely circulated video filmed by bystanders showed what appeared to be plainclothes federal immigration agents physically restraining a distressed woman in front of a young girl, as onlookers shouted in protest and demanded the agents identify themselves.
The incident was filmed by bystanders, showing agents restraining the woman while her young daughter watches and cries, prompting outrage online.
The Department of Homeland Security later identified the woman and the child as Angelina Lopez-Jimenez and Wendy Godinez-Lopez, both Guatemalan nationals. A DHS post on X on Monday afternoon said federal officers had been in the process of transferring the two individuals onto an outbound flight when the incident occurred.
In multiple videos that spread rapidly across social media platforms beginning Sunday night, a crowd of onlookers can be seen holding up phones and shouting at a line of uniformed San Francisco Police Department officers who appear to be standing in formation between the crowd and the federal agents. Behind the officers, two men in civilian clothing are visible maneuvering the woman into a blue wheelchair as she visibly struggles against them. What appears to be a pair of handcuffs can be seen at her wrist.
"ICE was at SFO airport last night, terrorizing a mother while her daughter watched. ICE should leave California.
— California State Sen. Scott Wiener, via X
A second video filmed from a different angle shows the two agents pressing the woman against the floor of the terminal as she cries loudly. In the foreground, a young girl with braided hair watches and cries nearby, visibly distressed. Bystanders in the footage repeatedly ask the agents to state their badge numbers. The scene ends with roughly ten officers forming a tight perimeter around the woman and the child as they are escorted out of the gate area, while members of the crowd continue to call out at them.
San Francisco International Airport spokesperson Doug Yakel told reporters Monday that the airport had not been notified of the enforcement action in advance and had no involvement in it. He described the incident as isolated and said the airport's role is to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the facility for all passengers and staff.
The San Francisco Police Department issued a statement saying its officers had responded to a 911 call at SFO at approximately 10 p.m. Sunday and found federal immigration officials already on scene. SFPD said its officers were present solely to maintain public safety. The department added that, consistent with city charter, state law, and department policy, San Francisco police do not assist in the enforcement of civil federal immigration laws.
Senator Wiener Condemns the Arrest, Calls on ICE to Leave California
California state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat who represents San Francisco in the state legislature, reposted one of the videos on X on Monday and condemned the conduct on display. ICE was at SFO airport last night, terrorizing a mother while her daughter watched, Wiener wrote. ICE should leave California.
Wiener's statement drew thousands of responses and helped drive further circulation of the footage, which had already reached a broad audience before the senator's post. Civil rights advocates and immigration lawyers said the incident illustrated the risks posed to bystanders and family members, including children who are U.S. citizens or lawful residents, when federal immigration enforcement is carried out in public spaces with no prior notice to local authorities.
The incident drew comparisons to earlier confrontations between federal immigration agents and the public in other states in the first months of 2026, including episodes in Minnesota that had resulted in federal court orders restricting the use of chemical agents during protests. It also came amid ongoing debate in California over the extent to which local and state governments can limit cooperation with federal immigration operations.
What SFPD Said — and What It Did Not Do
SFPD's confirmation that its officers responded to a 911 call and found immigration enforcement already under way raised immediate questions about the role of local police in federal operations. The department was careful to note that its officers did not assist with the immigration enforcement itself, but critics argued that a visible police presence alongside ICE agents in practice provides a form of cover that can make it harder for bystanders to intervene or for individuals being detained to resist.
San Francisco operates under a sanctuary city policy that bars city agencies, including the police, from assisting federal authorities in civil immigration enforcement. That policy does not prevent federal agents from conducting operations at the airport, however, as the airport is served by both city and federal jurisdictions. The question of where exactly the airport falls within that framework has been a recurring point of legal and political debate.
Key Facts From the Incident
The following details have been confirmed by DHS, SFPD, and airport officials as of Monday, March 23, 2026.
✓ Incident occurred at approximately 10 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at San Francisco International Airport
✓ DHS identified the detained individuals as Angelina Lopez-Jimenez and Wendy Godinez-Lopez of Guatemala
✓ Federal agents were transporting the two on an outbound flight at the time of the incident
✓ SFO was not notified in advance and was not involved in the operation
✓ SFPD responded to a 911 call and was present to maintain public safety, not to assist ICE
✓ SFPD confirmed it does not assist in civil federal immigration enforcement under city policy
✓ California Sen. Scott Wiener publicly condemned the incident and called for ICE to leave the state
✓ Multiple videos of the incident circulated widely on social media beginning Sunday night
The incident occurred against the backdrop of a broader national debate over immigration enforcement practices, the rights of bystanders during enforcement operations, and the legal boundaries of local government authority to limit cooperation with federal agencies. No formal legal challenge to the specific SFO operation had been filed as of Monday morning.
A Pattern That Civil Rights Advocates Say Is Escalating
Civil rights attorneys and immigration advocates said Monday that the SFO incident fit a pattern they have been documenting since early 2026: enforcement operations carried out in public transportation hubs, often without advance coordination with local authorities, and in ways that bring enforcement agents into direct contact with large numbers of bystanders, including family members and children who are not the subjects of the operation.
The presence of a young child who appeared to be in significant distress throughout the footage drew particular attention. Advocates said that children who witness the detention of a parent or accompanying adult suffer documented psychological harm regardless of the legal merits of the underlying enforcement action, and called on DHS to establish clearer protocols for managing situations in which children are present.
Airport officials said they were reviewing the incident to determine whether changes to coordination protocols between federal agencies and airport operations staff were warranted. The airport reiterated that it had received no advance notice of the enforcement action and that its staff had not played any role in it.
DHS did not respond to questions about why local authorities were not notified in advance, or about whether the presence of the child was taken into account in the decision to carry out the transfer at a major public airport during the evening hours.
We believe this is an isolated incident and have no reason to suspect broader enforcement action at SFO.— Doug Yakel, SFO Spokesperson
As of Monday afternoon, the footage had been viewed millions of times across multiple platforms. No formal charges or complaints had been filed against the agents involved. The incident added another flashpoint to the ongoing national debate over immigration enforcement, due process, and the treatment of children in the context of federal operations.
