Airport Commission brushed off calls to rein in ICE at SFO

Members of the public including many Indivisible SF members sent email and lined up at the microphone at the S.F. Airport Commission meeting on August 25th, calling on the airport to comply with the “Sanctuary City” ordinance. (See video and reports by Mission Local and SF Public Press.) Mission Local quotes airport officials as saying City ownership of the airport land does not give it authority over federal enforcement agencies. After the August 25th meeting, a new page was added to the airport website providing resources to support immigrants.

Meanwhile, records records released in response to another public records request revealed that an ICE agent left his gun in a toilet stall in a public restroom at SFO last month, highlighting the threat posed to travelers by giving ICE warrantless free run of the airport for immigration enforcement

Even for domestic flights, airlines send reservation data to the TSA, which passes it on to ICE. Travelers are being targeted and abducted by ICE at check-in counters, gates, and baggage claim areas.

The City and County of San Francisco owns and operates SFO. But the Airport Commission has ignored our “sanctuary city” ordinance and capitulated prematurely to untested DHS claims of unlimited power.

The next Airport Commission will be on Sept 15.  More information to follow.

More info and talking points for public comments on what the Airport Commission can do.