Full Breakdown
United Airlines Employee’s ICE Threat Sparks Investigation After Viral Airport Video
7/20/2026, 10:07:24 PM
Incident at San Francisco International Airport
On July 14, 2024, Julio Varela, a naturalized U.S. citizen from San Ramon, confronted a United Airlines employee at the airline’s counter in Terminal 3 of San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The dispute began after Varela spent nearly three hours trying to correct a ticketing error that listed his daughter’s middle name as her last name. When a United staff member intervened, the employee allegedly told Varela, “Maybe we should call ICE on you,” and added, “Maybe you need to be, because you don’t act like a citizen.” The exchange was recorded by both parties and quickly spread online, prompting United to launch an internal review.
Background of the Ticketing Dispute
Varela’s wife had mistakenly entered the daughter’s middle name in the last-name field when booking a United-operated flight on Air Canada. After weeks of phone calls and being bounced between United and Air Canada customer-service lines, the family arrived at SFO around 8:15 a.m. for an 11:40 a.m. flight to Montreal. An Air Canada supervisor was close to releasing the ticket when the United employee intervened, dismissing the effort and refusing to identify herself. The confrontation escalated, and Varela reported that the employee also struck his hand and his phone, which he described as an assault.
Key Individuals and Organizations
- Julio Varela – San Ramon business owner, Mexican-American, traveling with his wife and two daughters.
- United Airlines – The carrier whose employee is alleged to have made the ICE threat.
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) – The union representing the employee; its communications director issued a response.
- San Francisco International Airport – Airport authority that has not provided comment on the incident.
Official Statements & Responses
United Airlines released a brief statement saying it is “looking into the interaction in this video, but don’t have anything additional to share at this time.” The airline’s media-relations spokesperson declined to answer specific questions about the employee’s conduct or employment status. The IAM Union acknowledged awareness of the circulating video, noted it had not verified the footage, and asserted that “the comments made in the video do not reflect the views or values of the IAM Union.” The union added that any matters arising would be addressed through the collective-bargaining agreement. SFO officials directed inquiries to United and offered no comment.
Criticism and Opposition
Varela characterized the employee’s remarks as “really hateful and really racist,” emphasizing the impact on a Hispanic passenger amid heightened national debate over immigration enforcement. He expressed fear that the threat could lead to ICE detention upon his return to California, noting that neither United nor the airport had contacted his family to assure them they would not be detained. Civil-rights observers have highlighted the incident as part of a broader pattern of traveler anxiety following recent ICE actions at U.S. airports, including high-profile detentions in Las Vegas and at SFO earlier in 2024.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The authenticity of the video remains unverified; both United and the IAM Union have stated they lack full context. Varela claims the employee was suspended pending investigation, but United has not confirmed this. It is also unclear whether the Varela family faced any ICE interaction when they returned to San Francisco on Saturday night. No further details have been released regarding potential disciplinary outcomes or legal proceedings.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I don’t even know what’s going to happen when I get back to San Francisco,” — Julio Varela, Passenger
- “It infuriated me, because I am a citizen, number one, and for her to threaten me like that with ICE, especially with the state of politics now in America and with what ICE is doing,” — Julio Varela, Passenger
- “We're looking into the interaction in this video, but don't have anything additional to share at this time.” — United Airlines spokesperson
- “As depicted, the comments made in the video do not reflect the views or values of the IAM Union.” — IAM Union communications director
- “I am Mexican. I was born in Mexico, I am a U.S. citizen. I own my own business. I pay taxes. I employ people,” — Julio Varela, Passenger.
