A flight attendant found an ICE agent’s gun unattended in a public bathroom at San Francisco International Airport last month, the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit confirmed. The gun was found in a men’s bathroom stall beyond security at Terminal 2 on the night of July 21, according to SFO public information officer Doug Yakel. The flight attendant who found it reported the gun to security, who closed the bathroom to the public and called 911, Yakel said in an email. San Francisco police officers responded within minutes and were on the scene when the ICE officer returned later to recover the missing firearm, Yakel said. It is still unclear how long the gun was in the bathroom before it was found. The airport reported the incident to TSA for possible follow-up action, Yakel added. It is unclear what the ICE agent was doing at SFO or if he has faced any disciplinary action. Yakel said the airport was not aware of the nature of ICE’s presence at the airport that night, and ICE did not respond to questions submitted Wednesday morning by NBC Bay Area. Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Gorb was arrested by ICE agents at SFO the next day. Video of his arrest was captured and posted online by Richmond City Councilwoman Doria Robinson. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Gorb entered the U.S. legally in 2010 but overstayed his visa. NBC’s Bay Area Investigative Unit learned of the ICE agent’s missing gun through a public records request seeking more details about Gorb’s arrest. An internal email contained within a batch of records the airport released this week alluded to an “event in which an ICE agent left his weapon at the MRR near Checkpoint D at TB2.” The airport provided additional details Wednesday afternoon in response to questions from NBC Bay Area. ICE’s presence at U.S. airports has made headlines across the country in recent weeks, with immigration attorneys reporting an increase in airport arrests and warning clients about flying. It’s unclear exactly how many immigrants have been arrested at SFO, but Yakel told NBC Bay Area that the airport is aware of three such arrests since March, including Gorb’s arrest. Yakel said the airport “is not involved in decisions about DHS or ICE operations” and does not “assist in immigration enforcement, consistent with Sanctuary City policies.” He posted it on social media. The third arrest took place on May 1, Yakel said.
