A family returning from Montreal to the San Francisco Bay Area experienced a troubling incident at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) involving a United Airlines employee. On July 14, Julio Varela from San Ramon and his family sought to correct an error on his daughter's ticket, which mistakenly listed her last name as her middle name due to a booking mistake made by his wife.
After waiting nearly three hours, another employee from a United partner airline was close to resolving the issue when a United worker intervened. Varela described the employee as dismissive, stating, "I don’t care if you guys fly out today or not."
When Varela asked for her name to report her conduct, she refused and threatened to call ICE, saying, "Maybe we should call ICE on you." Varela, a citizen, expressed disbelief at the threat, highlighting the troubling political climate regarding immigration enforcement.
The situation escalated, with Varela alleging that the employee struck his hand and phone, which he claimed amounted to assault. A video capturing the incident has since gone viral.
United Airlines stated they are investigating the matter, while the union representing the employee has acknowledged awareness of the video but has not confirmed its authenticity, emphasizing that the comments do not align with the union's values. As of Saturday night, the Varelas' flight was set to land at SFO, but it was unclear if they faced further issues upon arrival.