A viral video shows a Ukrainian woman screaming for help and alleging she was being choked during an immigration arrest by plainclothes federal officers at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday.
Iryna Gorb, 38, was detained after returning to California from a trip to Portland, Oregon. Footage recorded inside Harvey Milk Terminal 1 shows several men restraining Gorb on the ground. "You're choking me. They're f****** ICE," she is heard yelling in the video, while also pleading, "Stop, stop. Let me go. Please help me. Leave me alone."
Witnesses gathered around the officers, who were not in uniform, and demanded an explanation. One person asked, "What are you arresting her for?"
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later confirmed that federal officers detained Gorb due to an alleged visa violation. According to DHS, Gorb legally entered the U.S. in 2010 with permission to remain until 2011 but overstayed her visa. The agency also claimed Gorb attempted to flee and resisted arrest. The DHS statement did not address Gorb's allegation of being choked or explain the officers' use of force.
Gorb has lived in San Francisco for approximately a decade and worked at Better Half Cafe in the Polk Gulch neighborhood. She is also a photographer.
Richmond City Council member Doria Robinson was at the airport waiting for a flight and began recording the incident after Gorb's screams drew her attention. Robinson told the San Francisco Chronicle that she initially feared she was witnessing domestic violence due to the plainclothes officers. As more travelers became aware, some in the crowd identified the men as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
The video shows Gorb being restrained on the floor before being handcuffed to an airport wheelchair and taken away. Robinson stated that one officer remained "on top of" Gorb during the arrest.
San Francisco International Airport officials stated that the airport was not involved in the federal operation and had not been notified beforehand.
Gorb later contacted a friend from the ICE field office in Stockton, who reported that she asked for help alerting her employer, arranging care for her cat, and ensuring her plants were watered. Friends began working to locate Gorb and secure legal assistance.
ICE's online detainee locator later indicated Gorb was transferred to the California City Detention Facility in the Mojave Desert.
California state Senator Scott Wiener condemned the arrest, raising concerns that Gorb could be deported to Ukraine amid its war with Russia. He criticized the arrest as part of an "enforcement campaign" and stated that Gorb had made a home in San Francisco.
Milli Atkinson, director of the San Francisco Bar Association's Immigrant Legal Defense Program, advised noncitizens to consult immigration attorneys before flying, noting that airports can facilitate federal enforcement actions. She cautioned that immigrants with work permits or pending cases might mistakenly believe these documents offer protection from arrest.