Family's Disturbing Encounter with United Airlines Employee at SFO

Incident at San Francisco International Airport

A family from the Bay Area expressed their fears of potential detention by immigration officials after a United Airlines staff member allegedly threatened to contact ICE during a ticketing issue at San Francisco International Airport. As reported by NBC Bay Area, Julio Varela from San Ramon recounted that the incident took place on July 14 while they were preparing to fly to Montreal, Canada. The confrontation was recorded and subsequently went viral on social media.

Varela explained that the trouble began when his daughter’s airline ticket mistakenly listed her last name as her middle name due to a booking error made months prior. A United representative had previously instructed the family to arrive early at the airport to rectify the mistake. After waiting for several hours, Varela mentioned that a partner airline employee was close to resolving the issue when a United worker intervened and refused to assist further.

According to Varela, the employee became dismissive, stating she did not care if they could travel that day. When he began recording the interaction and requested the employee’s name for a complaint, she started recording him and threatened to involve immigration authorities.

In the viral footage, the employee can be heard saying, "Maybe we should call ICE on you." When Varela asked her to repeat the statement, she responded, "Maybe you need to be, because you don’t act like a citizen. Get away." Varela found these remarks particularly distressing as he is a U.S. citizen, especially given the current political climate regarding immigration enforcement.

He shared with NBC Bay Area that the incident left his family anxious about their return from Canada. The situation escalated physically, with Varela claiming the employee struck his hand and phone while he was recording, causing a brief interruption in the video. He alleged that this contact constituted an assault.

United Airlines stated that they are investigating the incident. "We’re looking into the interaction in this video, but don’t have anything additional to share at this time," the airline commented. The union representing the employee acknowledged awareness of the video but had not verified its authenticity. They added that if the footage is genuine, the comments do not align with their values, and any employment-related matters would be addressed through established procedures.

As of the time of reporting, San Francisco International Airport had not publicly commented on the incident. Varela mentioned that neither United Airlines nor airport officials reached out to his family before their return flight to reassure them about potential immigration issues upon their arrival back in San Francisco. It remains unclear whether the family faced any further complications after landing.