SAN FRANCISCO – A United Airlines employee sparked outrage after video emerged showing her threatening to call immigration authorities on an American citizen during a heated customer service dispute at San Francisco International Airport, raising fresh questions about airline staffing, union protections and the weaponization of immigration enforcement against law-abiding travelers.
The confrontation, which took place on July 14, involved passenger Varela and his family, who had spent nearly three hours trying to resolve a ticketing error on an Air Canada flight booked through United. Frustrated after what he described as poor service, Varela began filming the interaction at the customer service counter. In the video, the female United employee, identified as a union steward with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, loses her cool and tells the passenger, "Maybe we should call ICE on you."
When Varela, who was born in Mexico but is a naturalized U.S. citizen, pushes back, she doubles down: "Maybe you need to be, because you don’t act like a citizen. Get away."Varela is heard demanding the worker’s name and criticizing her as "lazy" and "rude," while she gestures emphatically and repeatedly orders him away from the counter. The family eventually boarded their delayed flight after another employee stepped in to assist, according to reports.
United Airlines confirmed it is investigating the incident but has not released details about the employee. The union responded defensively, telling local media it was "aware of a video being circulated online" but had "no verification of its authenticity or the full context."
The clip has ignited widespread backlash online, with many questioning why a customer service worker would invoke federal immigration enforcement against a U.S. citizen in the middle of a routine ticketing complaint. Critics point to the episode as another example of strained airline operations at major hubs like SFO, where travelers frequently report long delays, poor communication and unhelpful staff shielded by powerful unions.
"Acting like a citizen means respecting the rules and treating people decently, something that seems to have been forgotten here," one commenter noted on social media, echoing broader frustrations with post-pandemic air travel.
Varela has indicated he is considering legal action while acknowledging the exchange grew heated on both sides. The incident comes as airlines face ongoing scrutiny over customer service failures and labor tensions, with unions often criticized for protecting underperforming workers at the expense of paying passengers.
