On August 25, 2026, a dozen or so human and civil rights activists visited San Francisco City Hall, beseeching the Airport Commission to stop federal immigration enforcement at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Unfortunately, the officials in question declared that their power is no match for that of federal agents.
In particular, Mike Nakornkhet, SFO's airport director, stated, “While local municipalities typically own physical airport properties, federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security have extensive regulatory authority over U.S. airports. The city and county of San Francisco and its Airport Commission do not have the authority to regulate such activities.”
One of the activists, Edward Hasbrouck, countered, “SFO does not have to allow ICE free rein of the airport, especially outside customs and immigration areas.
“San Francisco is a sanctuary city. SFO should be a sanctuary airport, to the maximum extent permitted by law," he added.
Others who came urged that the Airport Commission should demand that signage be posted informing travelers of their rights but also with the warning that data collected by airlines is passed on to TSA, ICE and Customs and Border Patrol.
The activists are especially concerned with the warrantless arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at SFO. So far, SFO public information officer Doug Yakel has documented three ICE arrests at SFO in 2026. The first, occurring on March 22, captured by bystanders and going viral on social media was of Angelina Lopez-Jimenez, an immigrant from Guatemala, and her nine-year-old daughter. The New York Times reported that the Transportation Security Administration had flagged her in its boarding logs and alerted ICE agents that she was due to arrive at SFO.
Another arrest took place on May 1. Most recently, Iryna Gorb, a 38-year-old photographer and cafe worker who's been living in San Francisco for over a decade, was arrested by plainclothes ICE officers at SFO on the evening of July 22 upon returning to San Francisco from Portland, Oregon. According to a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, Gorb lawfully entered the country in 2010 on a visa that allowed her to stay until 2011, but had since overstayed her visa.
Yakel has also told the San Francisco Standard that in keeping with San Francisco’s sanctuary city policies, SFO does not participate in federal immigration enforcement and that he was not notified in advance of ICE operations at the facility.
Whereas Yakel has counted three ICE arrests at SFO, in late July, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that at least 11 San Francisco Bay Area residents have been detained at that airport during that specific month. One had only just finished celebrating her marriage to her American husband, one was a professional athlete with a legitimate visa, another was a student in pursuit of a master's degree, and three others were merely en route to a short vacation in Southern California.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, because the TSA shares passenger information with ICE, non-citizens are at risk for being detained, particularly if they are flying within the U.S., especially if their visa or other temporary lawful status has expired, or if they have been granted deferred action, or if they have any prior criminal arrest. Under U.S. Code Title 8, lawful permanent residents returning to the United States are considered to be seeking admission if they have been outside the U.S. for a continuous period in excess of 180 days, have engaged in criminal activity after leaving the U.S. or have committed crimes involving fraud, theft, violence or dealing in controlled substances.
Although the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution give non-citizen visa holders and visitors the right to refuse to answer questions about their political beliefs, doing so may lead to delay, additional questioning, or refusal of entry to the United States. Previously, members of veteran British punk band U.K. Subs were refused entry, possibly due to one or more members being critical of President Donald Trump. Around the same time, a French scientist traveling to a conference near Houston, Texas on assignment from Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique was deported when border officials saw that he had criticized Trump in his private correspondence.
