Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested a Ukrainian woman living in the United States for more than ten years at San Francisco International Airport. The incident was caught on video, in which the woman, later identified as Iryna Gorb, is seen on the ground as two men in plainclothes take her into custody.
"You're choking me!" the video shows Gorb shouting and asking witnesses for help. When asked by a witness why she was being detained, Gorb replied, saying, "they're f------ ICE, I'm from Ukraine."
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to CBS News Bay Area in a statement that Gorb was apprehended at the airport on July 22. Gorb had entered the country lawfully on July 6, 2010, with a visa that permitted her to stay through May 31, 2011, officials said.
However, Gorb never departed. The agency said she lived in the U.S. illegally for 15 years "in violation of our nation's laws."
Gorb is currently in ICE custody at California City Detention Facility in Kern County pending removal proceedings.
In a statement, state Sen. Scott Wiener condemned Gorb's arrest.
He said, "Iryna Gorb made a home in San Francisco," adding that she is "one of many people who help make San Francisco run."
"She is part of our community," the Senator continued, noting that Iryna committed no crime. Nevertheless, ICE violently grabbed her. Wiener said ICE is now trying to deport the 38-year-old woman to Ukraine, a war zone presently being invaded and bombed by Putin.
According to Andy Eblin, who has been a friend of Gorb’s for 13 years, Gorb is a good person who helped out a lot. He said she is a professional photographer and over the years, she has run a vintage pop-up.
ICE agents have been showing up at airports around the country in recent weeks. ICE detentions at airports are on the rise because they have "ID information" about travelers, said Milli Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program at the San Francisco Bar Association.
