SALT LAKE CITY — After video quickly spread this week of a woman being detained by ICE agents at Salt Lake City International Airport, some are saying that the incident and those similar are generating fear in the community.
On Wednesday, 39-year-old Marta Leiva was arrested by ICE agents in the baggage claim area and is now on her way back to El Salvador.
ICE Officials won’t confirm many of the arrest's details except to say Leiva was in this country illegally, and that her arrest was part of a targeted investigation.
Meanwhile, video of Leiva's arrest went viral on social media, and Utah immigration attorney Shawn Smith says the high-profile incidents are sparking fear, questions and concern with people who make up the state's Latino community.
“A lot of the community don’t even wanna talk to attorneys because they are worried they’re going to put themselves on the radar to have issues with ICE,“ Smith said.
Video below shows airport arrest of Marta Leiva (Shannon Hale):
The attorney added that he speaks with about 10 people each day who have had a family member arrested, and he claims that in about 80 percent of those cases, the individuals don't have underlying criminal offenses.
"A lot of times they don’t have deportations in their past, it’s literally they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and they were arrested for not having status," he said,
The Mexican consulate in Salt Lake City shared how they are receiving multiple calls from individuals concerned about what to do if they are stopped by ICE. They have phone numbers monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week for assistance:
