Outrage after ICE agents tackle man at Las Vegas airport
[July 17, 2026]
By WUFEI YU
PHOENIX
(AP) — Video footage of two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents
tackling a man at the airport in Las Vegas drew public outrage and
criticism from elected officials.
One video
posted on social media showed a man yelling and crying on the ground in
Terminal 3 at Harry Reid International Airport on Monday when a man and
a masked woman, both in plainclothes, tried to control, handcuff and
detain him. When the pair realized they were being filmed, they walked
away, leaving the man with a handcuff attached to one arm. |
People check into their flights at Harry Reid International Airport,
Jan. 11, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) |
|
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police found no outstanding warrants
for the man, removed his handcuffs and notified ICE.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE officers
on Monday did not proceed with the arrest at the Las Vegas
airport of Phu Nguyen, a 57-year-old citizen of Australia who
overstayed his visa. ICE arrested him at his flight departing
the Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, the Department
of Homeland Security said.
“ICE is continuing to act with impunity — instilling fear in our
communities and scaring tourists, which hurts our tourism
economy,” Democratic U.S. Senator for Nevada Jacky Rosen said in
a statement. “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 calling for a full
investigation into the aborted arrest by ICE at Harry Reid
International Airport, urging Gov. Joe Lombardo to explain the
transparency and accountability for federal law enforcement
agencies operating in Nevada.
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