Does a video show plainclothes ICE agents arresting a woman at a gate at San Francisco International Airport on March 22, 2026? Yes, that's true: A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Lead Stories that two women-- not one --were arrested. The spokesperson said the women attempted to flee and resisted officers.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) by the @argw6 account on TikTok on March 23, 2026. The description read:
ICE at SFO 3/22 10pm
I'm not from the area- if anyone knows what organizations in the area I can send this to to help identify this woman please let me know. (I called SF rapid response network but no one answered and I left a message)
SF Police shielded these unidentified men as they illegally detained a woman with a young child at SFO airport
#ice #sanfrancisco #cbp #iceout #bayarea #icesanfrancisco #sfo
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Image source: post by @argw6 on TikTok.)
The two arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) came a day before the Trump administration surged hundreds of agents to help fill staffing gaps at 14 airports to supplement the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) during a partial government shutdown that has caused long lines at security checkpoints across the country. San Francisco International (SFO) is not among the airports where ICE agents will be helping the TSA. SFO hires its own private, non-federal contractors for security screening rather than TSA agents.
The 14 airports include:
- Chicago‑O'Hare International Airport
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
- Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- Houston's William P. Hobby Airport
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York)
- LaGuardia Airport (New York)
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
- Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
- Newark Liberty International Airport
- Philadelphia International Airport
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- Pittsburgh International Airport
- Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers, Florida)
- Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport
Regarding the San Francisco incident specifically, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson responded to Lead Stories' questions about the incident in a March 23, 2026, email. They said:
On March 22, 2026, ICE officers arrested Angelina Lopez-Jimenez and Wendy Godinez-Jimenez at the San Francisco International Airport. The family has an outstanding final order of removal from an immigration judge since 2019.
While being escorted to the international terminal for processing, Lopez-Jimenez attempted to flee and resisted law enforcement officers. ICE is working as quickly as possible to repatriate the family unit to their home country of Guatemala.
An ICE final order of removal is a legally binding decision by an immigration judge or the Board of Immigration Appeals requiring a non-citizen to depart the United States. It is effectively a deportation order.
In a March 23, 2026, email to Lead Stories, the San Francisco Police Department's media relations unit said this about the incident:
Consistent with our City Charter, state law, and SFPD department policy, we do not assist in the enforcement of civil federal immigration laws.
On Sunday, March 22, at approximately 10:00 p.m., SFPD officers responded to a 911 call at San Francisco International Airport. Officers arrived on scene and determined the incident involved federal immigration officials.
SFPD officers were not involved in the incident but remained at the scene to maintain public safety.
SFPD has a large presence and is responsible for public safety at the airport.
SFPD will continue to ensure public safety at SFO and in the City of San Francisco.
SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel told local media on March 23, 2026 (archived here):
We understand federal officers were transporting two individuals on an outbound flight when this incident occurred. We believe this is an isolated incident and have no reason to suspect broader enforcement action at SFO.
We were not involved in or notified in advance of this incident.
Airport operations continued without disruption, and there was no impact to flights or passenger processing. The airport's role is to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the facility for all passengers and staff.
