SALT LAKE CITY — Mayor Erin Mendenhall is publicly questioning the forcible detainment by ICE agents of a woman in the baggage claim area of Salt Lake City International Airport.
Video taken by Shannon Hale of Wednesday afternoon's incident shows a woman, later identified as Marta Brizeyda Renderos Leiva, screaming while being brought through the airport by plain-clothed ICE agents. A woman can be heard asking agents to "have mercy" on the lady.
"I am left wondering and aching from the fear and pain these types of operations keep striking in my heart and the hearts of so many of us," Mendenhall said of the incident.
In a statement provided by ICE, they said the 39-year-old Leiva was in the country illegally from El Salvador, and she was arrested as part of a targeted enforcement operation. Leiva will be held in ICE custody until she is deported to her home country.
Raw video below shows the ICE arrest of woman in SLC Int'l Airport (Shannon Hale):
The mayor said she has watched the social media videos of the incident that have been shared, as well as body camera footage from a responding Salt Lake City Police officer. Mendenhall admitted not knowing the reason behind the detainment, adding, "we seldom do when ICE acts, but I do know that this incident has had a major impact on our community."
Mendenhall questioned why the agents wore no forms of identification and asked why ICE chose to detain someone in the lobby of the airport.
"What I do know is that nothing about this incident, like so many ICE operations, makes me feel safer as an American," she said.
A spokesperson with the airport said law enforcement is permitted on its campus and does not need to give prior notice before arriving.
Mendenhall shared that local police officers are prohibited from interfering in federal immigration activities, but added that the city has requested additional information from federal officials about the detainment.
"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is executing its mission of identifying and removing criminal aliens and others who have violated our nation’s immigration laws," ICE added in its statement. "All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality."
