In a recent incident at Salt Lake City International Airport, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained a migrant woman named Marta Brizeyda Renderos Leiva, which has since become the center of a heated national conversation on immigration policies. The arrest occurred on Wednesday during a "targeted enforcement operation," according to officials.
Bystander footage shows Leiva, 39, originally from El Salvador, being apprehended by plainclothes agents. She was seen handcuffed, pulled up from the floor while kicking and crying out for help, claiming to have her papers. Witnesses report her pleas for help reverberated through the airport terminal, attracting the attention of travelers.
ICE confirmed that Leiva entered the United States illegally in 2007 and was issued a final order of removal in February 2020 after she failed to appear in court. The agency explained that the arrest was part of routine enforcement targeting individuals with pending deportation orders.
Author Shannon Hale, who recorded the incident, expressed her distress, initially suspecting a kidnapping. She recounted her attempt to intervene and the obstruction she faced from a police officer who stood between her and the ICE agents. Salt Lake City Police later verified that their officer was present but did not partake in the arrest and that the agents had properly identified themselves as federal law enforcement.
The video's spread across social media has led to a statement from Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, who criticized the operation for the fear and disturbance it causes within the community. She questioned the efficacy of such operations in providing safety to Americans.
While ICE has not disclosed further details about Leiva's case or her immediate fate post-arrest, the viral footage has stirred up discussions about the Biden administration’s approach to immigration. Critics argue that federal immigration enforcement is marred by inconsistency and political theatrics.
The Department of Homeland Security has remained silent on whether the arrest was in collaboration with local authorities or part of a broader enforcement strategy. Amidst the controversy, there have been erroneous claims on social media about Leiva's citizenship status, which ICE has refuted by confirming her as a non-U.S. citizen with an outstanding deportation order.
