‘They Are Kidnappers’: Woman Cries as Four Plainclothes Men Claiming to Be ICE Detain Her Outside California Airport

A woman repeatedly begged for help as four plainclothes men appeared to detain her outside Los Angeles International Airport, according to footage that has spread rapidly online. Ali Karimiboroujeni/pexels A woman pleaded for someone to call 911 as four men in ordinary clothing apparently detained her outside a California airport, according to footage reported by The Nerd Stash on 4 October 2026. The men’s identities and the circumstances of the encounter have not been independently confirmed.

The recording reportedly shows the woman being handcuffed and taken towards an unmarked white vehicle. A bystander asks whether the men are immigration officers and why they are taking her; one man reportedly identifies himself as an agent and refers to an ‘immigration violation’.

‘Can you please call 911? Please,’ the woman can reportedly be heard telling the person recording. Coverage of the footage also describes her protesting the detention and asking the men to release her.

The Nerd Stash reported that the person filming questioned whether the men were Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. International Business Times UK likewise reported the exchange, including a man’s statement identifying himself as an officer.

That statement is part of the reported encounter, rather than independent confirmation of his affiliation. The available reporting does not establish which agency employed the men or the legal grounds on which they acted.

The video circulated on X before several publications reported it on 4 October. The date on which footage was uploaded or shared does not establish when the encounter took place.

Reports describe the location as Los Angeles International Airport. An Indian newspaper reporting on the video said it could not independently verify the location, the woman’s identity, the men’s affiliation or the alleged immigration violation.

Social media posts supplied conflicting names for the woman. A post described her as Angel Zhao, while other reporting said she could be heard giving the name Jing Zhao. Neither identity has been independently confirmed.

The Nerd Stash’s identification relied on claims accompanying the circulated footage. Those claims do not establish that the named person is the woman shown in the recording.

The available reports also do not establish her immigration status, whether she was formally arrested or where she was taken. The reported reference to an ‘immigration violation’ provides no further explanation of the alleged grounds for detention.

The woman’s pleas and the bystander’s questions are recorded observations described in the coverage. Claims about her background and the men’s official status require separate verification.

California enacted the No Vigilantes Act in 2025, including a provision requiring visible identification from non-uniformed officers during specified enforcement duties.

On 22 April 2026, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an injunction pending appeal preventing California from enforcing Section 10 of that law against federal agencies and officers. The court found that the federal government was likely to succeed in its challenge to the state’s regulation of federal operations.

The preliminary ruling concerned that specific state provision. It did not remove separate federal requirements governing immigration arrests.

Under 8 C.F.R. § 287.8(c)(2)(iii), an immigration officer making an arrest must, as soon as it is practical and safe to do so, identify themselves as an immigration officer authorised to make the arrest. The officer must also state that the person is under arrest and explain the reason.

That provision concerns identification to the person being arrested. It does not, in that passage, establish a general requirement to give a name or badge number to a bystander.

The available reporting does not establish whether those requirements were satisfied during the airport encounter. Nor does ordinary clothing or an unmarked vehicle, by itself, establish that the men were impersonating officers or acting unlawfully.