Ghanaian Man Arrested by ICE at San Francisco Airport While Boarding Domestic Flight

• ICE agents detained Kwadwo, a 57-year-old Ghanaian respiratory therapist, at San Francisco International Airport
• The arrest came despite Kwadwo having no criminal record and a pending second appeal for a green card that has been in process since May 2025
• Immigration attorneys in San Francisco say the shift in domestic travel policy has become so severe

A 57-year-old Ghanaian man has been held at an immigration detention facility in California for more than two months after federal agents arrested him at San Francisco International Airport while he was waiting to board a domestic flight.

Kwadwo, a respiratory therapist who has lived in Daly City for eight years, was approached at his departure gate by a plainclothes man who asked him to confirm his identity before identifying himself as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official.

The agent informed Kwadwo he was under arrest for overstaying his visa.

Three more agents then appeared and escorted him to the arrivals area near baggage claim, where officers placed chains around his feet, his waist, and his hands in full view of other travellers.

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"To have chains around me, as if I am the hardest criminal on earth," said Kwadwo, who has no criminal record, or even a minor traffic violation, "that was my first shock."

He was travelling to Dallas to visit a cousin who was recovering from a stroke.

The Legal Background to His Arrest

Court documents reviewed by Mission Local show that Kwadwo's detention stems from an expired student visa. He applied for a green card but was rejected in June 2024.

A first appeal was also unsuccessful, though a second appeal has remained pending since May 2025. Mission Local used a pseudonym for Kwadwo to protect him from further repercussions.

After his arrest, he was taken to the federal immigration building on Sansome Street in downtown San Francisco, where his shoes and trousers were confiscated.

He was then transported in a van, in chains alongside two other immigrants, eventually arriving at the Golden State Annex immigration detention centre near Bakersfield. He has remained there since.

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A Shift in How ICE Operates at Airports

Kwadwo's case reflects a significant change in how immigration enforcement functions within the United States.

The Transportation Security Administration has begun sharing domestic passenger data with ICE, meaning immigrants with any form of precarious or pending legal status are now vulnerable to arrest at airports even when flying within the country.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the administration had "reversed the Biden-era policy that allowed aliens to unlawfully present in the United States to jet around our country."

Karl Kooth, a private immigration attorney in San Francisco with 26 years of practice, described the shift as unprecedented.

"There was a sea change, on a level that is remarkable, when it comes to domestic travel," he said, adding that some attorneys are now advising clients, including green-card holders, to avoid air travel entirely.

Source: YEN.com.gh