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Chakrabarti reiterates call to abolish ICE after SF detention video
The Democratic candidate cited the airport detention as proof of ICE's growing systemic issue.
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Anushka Pathak - Tue, 24, Mar 2026
- 15:33 EDT
- 18
Saikat Chakrabarti / X/Saikat Chakrabarti
Democrat Saikat Chakrabarti, who is seeking the primary nomination for Congress from California, called for abolishing ICE on March 24 after a video showed agents detaining a mother at San Francisco International Airport.
“We have to abolish ICE,” Chakrabarti said, describing the arrest of the mother in front of her daughter as disturbing.
ALSO READ: New Jersey sues Trump administration over proposed ICE facility
It's terrible that what happened at SFO last night isn't an isolated incident. This is happening across the country all the time. We must abolish ICE. pic.twitter.com/mVHChkH1zg
— Saikat Chakrabarti for Congress (@saikatc) March 24, 2026
The remarks come as a viral video from the night of March 22 showed federal immigration agents detaining a crying woman at Terminal 3 of San Francisco International Airport, with bystanders filming and questioning officers who were not in uniform.
Chakrabarti said the footage appeared to show a woman being restrained and handcuffed while her child looked on. He questioned how many similar incidents the public needs to see before action is taken. He said, "It's terrible that what happened at SFO last night isn't an isolated incident. This is happening across the country all the time.”
Authorities later said the individuals detained had final deportation orders dating back to 2019, and officials clarified the incident was not linked to the broader deployment of immigration agents to airports during the ongoing government shutdown.
Chakrabarti also pointed to ongoing debates around Department of Homeland Security funding, noting that while Democrats are maintaining funding levels, proposed measures have largely focused on incremental reforms such as body cameras and audits.
Citing its US $75 billion budget, he said, “ICE has about the same amount of money as the military of Canada right now, and they’re using it to terrorize people all over the country,” he said.
Chakrabarti described the agency as “out of control,” adding that limited reforms would not address deeper structural concerns. “This agency is out of control, and a few body cameras aren’t going to fix it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration deployed hundreds of ICE agents to more than a dozen U.S. airports, including major hubs, to assist with security screening amid severe TSA staffing shortages caused by a partial government shutdown.
Officials confirmed the deployment began on March 23 to address long delays, with agents sent to locations such as Atlanta, New York airports, Newark, and others.
Chakrabarti, former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former Bernie Sanders campaign tech director, is campaigning on a platform that includes new Democratic leadership and opposition to current immigration enforcement practices, while rejecting corporate and lobbyist funding.
The open primary is scheduled for June 2, where all candidates appear on the same ballot and the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election.
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