CHICAGO- United Airlines (UA) is facing a lawsuit after a passenger alleged the airline’s gate announcement helped undercover US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detain her at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
The complaint alleges the announcement was unrelated to airline operations and was used solely to identify the passenger before her detention.
The incident involved United Airlines Flight UA483 from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to Washington Dulles Airport as the passenger and her partner were returning home to Maryland after attending a wedding in Arizona.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages exceeding $75,000, while United Airlines had not immediately responded to requests for comment when the legal action was reported.
Lawsuit Alleges United Assisted ICE at Phoenix
A lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the District of Arizona accuses United Airlines of negligently assisting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during the detention of Patience Gore, a Zimbabwean national, at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
According to the complaint, Gore and her partner arrived at the airport on Sunday, March 15, after celebrating a friend’s wedding in Arizona.
They were booked on United Airlines Flight UA483 to Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) and were returning home to Maryland.
The couple checked in, dropped off their baggage, received their boarding passes, and cleared TSA security without any reported issues before waiting in the departure concourse for their delayed flight.
While waiting, Gore repeatedly heard an announcement over the airport’s public address system stating, “Passenger Patience Gore, please come to the gate.”
Since no issues had been raised during check in or baggage drop, and both passengers already had their boarding passes, she could not understand why she was being called. Believing there might be a flight-related issue, she proceeded to Gate E7.
According to the lawsuit, a United Airlines gate agent repeatedly referred to Gore’s boarding pass after she arrived at the gate. The complaint alleges that 3 male undercover ICE agents, who were not displaying visible badges or identification, then surrounded her and informed her that she was not free to leave.
As reported by PYOK, the lawsuit alleges that the gate announcement created the appearance of legitimate airline business even though no airline related issue had been identified.
Passenger Held in Immigration Custody
Following the encounter at the gate, Gore was escorted out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and transported to an immigration detention facility in Florence, Arizona. She remained there for three days before being transferred to the Eloy Detention Center.
The complaint alleges that Gore spent approximately 2 weeks in immigration custody under degrading conditions.
According to the lawsuit, she was forced to sleep on a mattress placed directly on the floor, experienced repeated lockdowns, and was denied a change of clothes and basic personal necessities during her detention.
A federal court later ordered her release after concluding that she had previously been granted withholding of removal and that her removal to Zimbabwe was unlikely to occur in the foreseeable future.
Missed IVF Treatment
The lawsuit also alleges that Gore’s detention caused her to miss a scheduled in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment after returning home to Maryland.
According to the complaint, she later underwent a replacement IVF cycle, but it did not result in pregnancy. The lawsuit includes these alleged losses as part of the damages sought against United Airlines.
United’s Use of Passenger Announcements
The complaint does not allege that United Airlines made immigration enforcement decisions. Instead, it argues that the airline improperly used its own passenger announcement system to assist ICE officers.
According to the lawsuit, United was prohibited from communicating with law enforcement agencies, including ICE, except in legally permitted circumstances involving passenger information.
The complaint further alleges that United retained control over how it exercised its passenger announcement authority and used that authority in a manner that created the appearance of legitimate airline business when no airline related issue had been identified.
The lawsuit also argues that the presence of the ICE agents at the gate, the repeated announcements requesting Gore to report to the gate, and the fact that the gate agent quickly lost interest after identifying her from her boarding pass demonstrate that she was called to the gate solely to facilitate her detention.
Based on these allegations, Gore has sued United Airlines for negligence and false imprisonment. She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, with the total claim exceeding $75,000.
United Airlines Yet to Respond
United Airlines had not immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the allegations at the time the lawsuit was reported.
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