Green card holder held eight days at San Francisco airport by CBP
Sep 1, 2026·Location: San Francisco, CA
Country of origin: Mexico

A 67-year-old lawful permanent resident who has lived legally in the U.S. for about 50 years was held for eight days by CBP at San Francisco International Airport after returning from a trip to Guadalajara, Mexico, and landing in Fresno. He told the San Francisco Chronicle that agents removed him from his flight and transported him in handcuffs to San Francisco, where he says he slept sitting in a chair under lights kept on and struggled to manage his blood sugar despite having diabetes, hypertension and vision problems. His detention was reportedly linked to an old criminal record; he was later transferred to an ICE detention facility for several months before his attorneys secured his release. The case is part of a broader investigation that found 25 people were held more than 72 hours at SFO through July, 19 of whom were green card holders, despite CBP policy generally limiting custody to 72 hours.
Sources
More incidents in California
- ICE bans hugs at California's largest detention center, separating families behind glassSep 4, 2026 · California City, CA
- ICE arrests hit record highs in mid-2026, most detainees have no criminal recordSep 2, 2026 · San Diego, CA
- Berkeley restaurant supervisor detained by ICE at airport before flightAug 28, 2026 · Berkeley, CA
- Native American protester tased and tackled by police outside ICE officeAug 25, 2026 · Sacramento, CA
- Navy veteran with three Iraq tours detained by ICE leaving reentry programAug 25, 2026 · San Diego, CA
- Rideshare driver detained at Camp Pendleton gate despite valid work permitAug 23, 2026 · Oceanside, CA