United Airlines employee appears to threaten to call ICE on passenger: “You don’t act like a citizen”
United Airlines Employee Threatens ICE Call in Airport Dispute
Bizeconanalysis.com – A United Airlines employee appears to have threatened to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a heated exchange with a passenger at San Francisco International Airport. The incident, captured on video last week, has since sparked widespread discussion about customer service and immigration concerns at major airports.
Julio Varela, an East Bay resident traveling with his family, recounted the troubling encounter to CBS News Bay Area. According to Varela, the unidentified employee was dismissive when he approached the ticket counter. The 54-year-old asked for her name to file a complaint, but she refused. Varela then pulled out his phone to record the interaction, and the employee followed suit.
The Viral Video and Threatening Words
The footage, which Varela uploaded to Reddit and other social media platforms, shows the employee holding her phone in front of her face while Varela attempts to get her name. In the recording, the employee can be heard saying, “Maybe we should call ICE on you.” When Varela questions this, she adds, “Maybe you need to be, because you don’t act like a citizen.”
“I was so shocked, I was angry,” Varela recalled. “It’s intimidating, because my kids didn’t know, you know, if when we get back, are we, am I going to be arrested? Is ICE going to be there?”
Varela, his wife, and three daughters are all U.S. citizens. The family had been at the airport for several hours attempting to resolve an issue with one of his daughter’s tickets. The ticket had been incorrectly issued with her middle name as her last name. Despite their efforts, the ticket agent insisted there was nothing she could do and warned that the family would miss their flight.
“I say, well, my wife made the mistake, but we’ve been trying to correct it,” Varela explained. “So that’s what we’re here for, so you can help us. She says, well, I don’t care if you fly or not. So that’s what got me upset. And that’s, I said, what’s your name? She said, I’m not going to give you my name.”
After the employee threatened to call ICE, Varela refused to back down. “She assumed that I was just gonna be some idiot that was gonna, you know, just be quiet and shut up,” he said. “So I said, ‘No, call ICE.'” His 14-year-old daughter was crying nearby, questioning why the employee would make such a threat. “My daughter’s, like, ‘Why would you say you were going to call ICE?’ That’s so rude and disrespectful, you know?”
Fortunately, the ticketing issue was resolved minutes after the confrontation, and the family was able to board their flight. United Airlines confirmed in an email to CBS News Bay Area that it was reviewing the interaction, though no further details were provided at the time.