Video recorded at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas is fueling public anger and drawing sharp criticism from elected officials after two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were seen tackling a man inside the terminal.
Footage circulating on social media captured a man crying and yelling on the floor of Terminal 3 on Monday, while two plainclothes individuals — a man and a masked woman — attempted to restrain him, place him in handcuffs and take him into custody. When the pair noticed they were being recorded, they walked away, leaving the man on the ground with a handcuff still attached to one wrist.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police responded and found no outstanding warrants for the man. Officers removed his handcuffs and contacted ICE.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that ICE agents did not complete the arrest at the Las Vegas airport on Monday. The target of the attempted detention was Phu Nguyen, a 57-year-old Australian citizen who had overstayed his visa. ICE ultimately arrested Nguyen the following day, Tuesday, as he was boarding a departing flight at Los Angeles International Airport.
Democratic U.S. Senator for Nevada Jacky Rosen issued a statement condemning the incident. “ICE is continuing to act with impunity — instilling fear in our communities and scaring tourists, which hurts our tourism economy,” she said. “Enough is enough. ICE must follow the same commonsense guardrails as other law enforcement agencies.”
The Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus and the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Caucus are both demanding a thorough investigation into the failed arrest. The groups are urging Gov. Joe Lombardo to provide clarity on how transparency and accountability are being maintained when federal law enforcement agencies operate within Nevada.
