United employee allegedly threatened family with ICE during ticket dispute at SFO
A United Airlines staff member was recorded telling a Bay Area family they might be reported to immigration officials during a ticketing issue, prompting the airline to launch an internal review.
A video taken at San Francisco International Airport shows a United Airlines employee telling a family they could be reported to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a dispute over a ticket error. The incident occurred on July 14 while the Varela family from San Ramon was trying to correct a mistake on their daughter’s ticket before traveling to Canada.
Julio Varela said the airline’s customer-service representative refused to help, and a United employee intervened, stating, "Maybe we should call ICE on you," and later adding, "Maybe you need to be, because you don’t act like a citizen. Get away." Varela reported that the employee also reached toward his phone, causing it to shut off, which he described as an assault.
United Airlines responded that it is reviewing the interaction but provided no further details. The International Association of Machinists union, which represents the employee, said it is aware of the video and that any disciplinary action would follow the collective bargaining agreement. San Francisco International Airport officials did not comment. The Varela family’s flight was scheduled to arrive in San Francisco on Saturday night, and it was not confirmed whether they encountered additional issues at the airport.