ICE sparks outrage after tackling man at Las Vegas airport

A video showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents attempting to detain a man at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas has sparked criticism from politicians and community groups.

Footage shared on social media showed two plainclothes officers, including one wearing a mask, tackling a man in Terminal 3 on Monday.

After noticing they were being filmed, the officers walked away, leaving the man with a handcuff attached to one wrist.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police later removed the handcuff after finding the man had no outstanding warrants and informed ICE.

The US Department of Homeland Security said the man was Phu Nguyen, a 57-year-old Australian citizen accused of overstaying his visa.

According to the department, ICE did not complete the arrest at the Las Vegas airport but arrested Nguyen the following day before his flight departed from Los Angeles International Airport.

Responding to the incident, Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen said: “ICE is continuing to act with impunity — instilling fear in our communities and scaring tourists, which hurts our tourism economy.”

“Enough is enough. ICE must follow the same commonsense guardrails as other law enforcement agencies.”

The Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus and the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Caucus have called for a full investigation into the incident and urged Governor Joe Lombardo to explain how federal law enforcement agencies operating in Nevada are held accountable.