Oakland woman detained in Phoenix airport while awaiting asylum decision
July 30, 2026 · Phoenix, AZ, Ecuador

Mabel, an Oakland resident from Ecuador, was detained by ICE agents at Phoenix airport while waiting for a connecting flight. She had a pending asylum claim and held a valid work permit issued by U.S. immigration authorities. According to her husband Abraham Sanchez, an ICE officer approached the couple with a photo of Mabel on his phone, asked her to confirm her name, and took her away. She spent her first night detained near the airport before being transported to Eloy Detention Center. Her case is part of a broader ICE airport crackdown targeting individuals with expired visas and pending immigration applications.
Sources
More incidents in Arizona
- Medical examiner identifies skeletal remains found in Pima County desertAug 21, 2026 · Pima County, AZ
- Ecuadorian woman detained by ICE at Phoenix airport despite marriage to US citizenAug 19, 2026 · Phoenix, AZ
- Man detained over a year in Arizona ICE facility says he can no longer walkAug 18, 2026 · Florence, AZ
- Pregnant Venezuelan woman detained by Border Patrol in Tucson traffic stopAug 18, 2026 · Tucson, AZ
- Detained Arizona father says he can't walk, fears he won't survive ICE custodyAug 16, 2026 · Gilbert, AZ
- ICE arrests three men in traffic stop on Gila River tribal landAug 15, 2026 · Gila River Indian Community, AZ