Viral Video Shows United Employee Threaten to Call ICE; Airline Says It Is Investigating

United Airlines says it is investigating a viral video that appears to show one of its employees threatening to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on a Mexican American passenger at San Francisco International Airport.

The confrontation involved Julio Varela of San Ramon, who became frustrated after staff spent an extended period correcting an error his family made when entering his daughter’s name on a ticket for a flight to Canada, according to NBC News. After roughly three hours of waiting and a tense exchange, Varela took out his phone and asked the employee for her name so he could file a complaint.

"I'm asking for your name so I can report you," Varela says in the video.

The employee then began recording Varela and is heard saying,

"Maybe we should call ICE on you,"

and adding, "You don't act like a citizen." Varela, a naturalized U.S. citizen, reacted angrily and challenged the employee — at one point shouting, "Call ICE on me, lady."

The exchange escalates into a heated back-and-forth, with Varela repeatedly urging the employee to repeat the remark while another United staffer can be seen sighing and rolling her eyes. In the video Varela shouts, "United Airlines has a racist customer service lady! She's lazy as hell!"

In an emailed statement, United Airlines said: "We're looking into the interaction in this video, but don't have anything additional to share at this time." Varela later expressed concern that he might be detained by ICE when returning from Montreal, but NBC News reported he was not detained upon re-entry to the United States.

This incident highlights concerns about profiling and employee conduct at airports; the airline's investigation will determine whether further action is warranted.