A San Francisco resident, identified as 38-year-old Iryna Gorb, was detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday. Gorb, a Ukrainian national working as a barista and professional photographer, had overstayed her visa by 15 years, according to authorities.
The incident, captured on video and shared widely online, shows Gorb on the ground with plainclothes ICE agents restraining her. In the footage, she can be heard yelling, "You're choking me!" and pleading for help from onlookers.
Onlookers intervened, questioning the agents and asking to see their badges. One bystander publicly identified the agents as ICE. Gorb was subsequently placed in a wheelchair and taken away by federal agents.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated that Gorb entered the U.S. legally on July 6, 2010, with a visa valid until May 31, 2011. She remained in the country illegally for 15 years, the department alleged. ICE stated that the confrontation occurred because she attempted to flee and resisted arrest. The department encouraged undocumented immigrants to manage their departures using the CBP Home App.
Gorb is currently in ICE custody and awaiting removal proceedings. A friend of Gorb, Andy Eblin, told Mission Local that she contacted him from the ICE Stockton office to inform her employer, Better Half coffee shop, that she would be unable to work. A group of friends are reportedly attempting to assist with her case.
The arrest has drawn sharp criticism from local officials and progressive activists. State Sen. Scott Wiener, a candidate for Congress, commented that Gorb had made a home in San Francisco and contributed to the city. He criticized ICE for what he described as a violent arrest and an attempt to deport her to Ukraine, a country currently experiencing invasion.
Richmond City Councilmember Doria Robinson, who posted the video, characterized the arrest as an "abduction."