“I’m Not Doing Anything Wrong”: Woman Detained by ICE Agents at LAX
A cellphone video spreading across social media shows several plainclothes federal agents detaining a woman outside Los Angeles International Airport before placing her into a vehicle.
The footage was recorded Friday night, according to ABC7 Los Angeles, which reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were operating at the airport.
As a witness repeatedly questions the agents about why the woman is being taken, one of the men can be heard answering, “immigration violation.”
“I’m not doing anything wrong,” the woman says as the agents lead her away.
Outside The Terminal
🛑 ICE Detains Chinese National Outside LAX as “Rabid Responder” Screams 🛑
ICE agents detained a Chinese national outside LAX this morning. As agents walked her away, she asked a bystander to call 911. The bystander didn’t call anyone and started screaming “Why are you taking her? ICE!” louder and louder.
Chinese nationals are a fast-growing share of illegal crossings. Border Patrol encounters with Chinese nationals at the southwest border jumped from 1,970 in FY2022 to 24,048 in FY2023, according to the House Homeland Security Committee, and reached about 38,200 in FY2024, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
DHS estimated 210,000 Chinese nationals were living in the US illegally as of January 2022, and ICE removed only 517 in FY2024, according to VOA.
Los Angeles makes this job harder. Since 2018, California’s SB 54 has limited how much local police can work with ICE. In December 2024, the LA City Council made Los Angeles a sanctuary city, barring city staff, resources and data sharing for immigration enforcement. FAIR estimates illegal immigration costs California taxpayers $30.9 billion a year.
Expect to see more of these detentions as ICE goes after Chinese nationals who are here illegally.
— Katie K USA (@KimKatieUSA) October 3, 2026
A version of the video posted on X identifies the woman as a Chinese national and says ICE detained her outside LAX.
That description has not been independently established. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security do not appear to have publicly identified the woman or released details about her immigration history or the specific basis for the detention.
Other reports circulating with the video have similarly noted that claims about the woman’s nationality and identity remain unverified.
Airport Responds
Los Angeles World Airports told ABC7 that federal agencies conduct their own independent investigations. Airport officials said operations at LAX were continuing normally.
The detention comes amid increased federal immigration enforcement involving airports. ABC News reported in July that immigration officers had begun using airport travel information to locate and arrest some people accused of overstaying visas, with arrests documented at airports in multiple states.
It remains unclear whether the detention captured at LAX Friday was connected to that enforcement effort.
No publicly available ICE statement reviewed by Guessing Headlights identified the woman, disclosed where she was taken, or described the immigration violation referenced by the agent in the video.
