ICE Abandons Las Vegas Airport Arrest of 57-Year-Old Man as Crowd Challenges Plainclothes Agents
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jul 17
ICE Abandons Las Vegas Airport Arrest of 57-Year-Old Man as Crowd Challenges Plainclothes Agents
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jul 17
Summary
Las Vegas police said plainclothes ICE agents tried to detain Phu Nguyen at Harry Reid International Airport, then walked away and left him partially handcuffed on the ground.
Video shows travelers confronting the agents and demanding identification as a TSA officer formed a perimeter; DHS said officers halted the arrest to de-escalate and protect officer safety.
Police removed the handcuff after finding no outstanding warrants for Nguyen, a 57-year-old Australian citizen born in Vietnam whose U.S. visa expired in 2015.
Nguyen was arrested the next day at Los Angeles International Airport and is now held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center pending removal proceedings.
The episode has intensified criticism of immigration enforcement tactics, with Sen. Jacky Rosen condemning the use of plainclothes agents without visible identification or body cameras.