United Airlines Responds to Viral ICE Threat Video
Wanderstayfinder.com – United Airlines says it will investigate after a viral video captured an employee threatening to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a passenger at San Francisco International Airport. The incident, which has sparked widespread discussion about customer service and immigration concerns, occurred last week when Julio Varela, a San Ramon resident, confronted United Airlines staff over a ticketing issue.
According to NBC News, the situation began when Varela’s family made an error while entering his daughter’s name to purchase a flight ticket to Canada. After waiting approximately three hours for the issue to be resolved, Varela became increasingly frustrated with the United Airlines employee handling his case. He then pulled out his phone and asked the staff member to identify herself.
The Confrontation Goes Viral
“I’m asking for your name so I can report you,” Varela told the camera in the video that quickly gained traction online. The United Airlines employee responded by recording Varela on her own phone and making an unexpected comment. “Maybe we should call ICE on you,” she said, according to the footage.
“You don’t act like a citizen,” the employee reportedly told Varela, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
This comment further angered Varela, who challenged the employee to call ICE. The two exchanged words, with Varela repeatedly asking her to repeat herself while she told him to “get out my face.” At one point, Varela shouted that United Airlines had a “racist customer service lady” and called her “lazy as hell.” Another United Airlines employee could be seen in the background sighing and rolling her eyes during the exchange.
United Airlines issued a statement regarding the incident, confirming they are reviewing the situation. “We’re looking into the interaction in this video, but don’t have anything additional to share at this time,” the airline said in an email. Varela expressed concerns about potentially being detained by ICE when returning to the United States from Montreal, despite his citizenship status.
Fortunately, nothing occurred when Varela returned to the country, according to NBC News. The incident has since become a topic of conversation about workplace interactions and how employees handle difficult situations with passengers. United Airlines says it will continue to monitor the situation as they gather more information about what transpired at the airport terminal.
