Video Captures Plainclothes ICE Agents Leaving Partially Handcuffed Man at Vegas Airport Following Bystander Confrontation

Two undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement operatives abandoned a man who was partially handcuffed on the floor this past Monday after their arrest attempt at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas was interrupted by confronting bystanders, as reported by local police and federal authorities.

Video footage of the altercation obtained by CNN depicts a man dressed in a light blue polo shirt screaming while being pinned to the floor by the agents. During the struggle, his shoe was dislodged, and his personal luggage was shoved aside.

The operatives – one woman carrying a white crossbody bag, dressed in a hoodie and a face mask, alongside a man sporting khaki trousers, a hoodie, and a backpack – can be seen attempting to apply handcuffs in the video.

Throughout the confrontation, passing travelers halted and are audible in the footage interrogating the ICE personnel. As the crowd of onlookers swelled, a uniformed officer from the Transportation Security Administration positioned themselves between the agents and the detained man, forming a temporary barrier, the video illustrates.

“Back up, it’s law enforcement,” a TSA agent is heard instructing the crowd. “Everyone back up.”

Moments later, the ICE agents departed the scene, leaving the man behind without offering any explanation to the TSA officer attempting to manage the gathering or to the surrounding witnesses. A few travelers briefly trailed the departing agents, demanding to know their identities. In a distinct video clip, other individuals can be heard yelling at the TSA personnel, asking if any further action would be taken regarding the chaotic event.

CNN has contacted the TSA seeking an official comment.

The events that transpired immediately prior to or following the recorded footage remain unclear.

The Las Vegas police department stated that ICE personnel attempted to apprehend the individual but ultimately abandoned the arrest. Local officers subsequently removed the remaining handcuffs from the man’s wrist and contacted ICE after a background check revealed no active warrants against him, the department detailed in a public statement.

The Department of Homeland Security said the federal agents aborted the apprehension to “de-escalate the situation and for officer safety” after a “crowd of anti-ICE agitators surrounded officers.”

The individual, identified as Phu Nguyen, a 57-year-old Australian citizen of Vietnamese descent, was ultimately detained the next day at Los Angeles International Airport, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The agency noted that Nguyen possessed a two-year visa that had expired back in 2015.

“Nguyen refused to depart in violation of our nation’s laws. He will receive full due process and remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of his removal proceedings,” the DHS asserted in their statement.

He is currently housed at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, based on agency documentation. CNN is actively trying to confirm if he has secured legal counsel.

Concerned onlookers rush to help

A traveler waiting to board a departing flight at the Las Vegas terminal witnessed the events unfold and subsequently conversed with Nguyen as they both flew toward Los Angeles.

“I thought that he was going to leave on the stretcher because it looked like he had pretty significant injuries, but he didn’t leave on a stretcher,” Julian Vasquez Heilig recounted to CNN.

The two men spoke briefly in the exit row, where Vasquez Heilig was positioned, as Nguyen proceeded to his designated seat.

“He said he thought he was going to be OK, but my worry was that when he got off the plane, that ICE would grab him up,” Vasquez Heilig remarked.

Reflecting on the altercation, Vasquez Heilig noted that a group of Black women were among the initial bystanders to intervene and support Nguyen, demanding that the undercover ICE agents properly identify themselves.

“If you’re a human and you see something like that happen and you’re a person of courage, you run towards the danger,” he stated, emphasizing that this instinct was evident in the terminal that Monday.

This incident occurred amidst growing scrutiny regarding immigration enforcement tactics, as several fatal interactions with agents earlier this year have prompted intense questions concerning targeting practices. President Donald Trump has consistently maintained that the sweeping federal immigration enforcement push is designed to eliminate dangerous criminals from within the country.

When questioned regarding the attempted apprehension of Nguyen, the Clark County Department of Aviation, the entity managing the Las Vegas airport, stated that it acknowledges “that incidents such as this may raise questions and concerns among the traveling public.”

“We work closely with our federal law enforcement partners to support the safe and secure operation of the airport,” the aviation department noted in a statement.

Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Democratic representative for Nevada, publicly condemned the actions of the ICE agents on X and called for transparency regarding the event.

“Plain clothes. No uniforms. No body cameras. No identification,” Rosen expressed. “ICE is continuing to act with impunity — instilling fear in our communities and scaring tourists, which hurts our tourism economy.”

CNN’s Graham Hurley contributed to this report.