California Democrats Condemn ICE Arrest of Guatemalan Family at San Francisco Airport Under 2019 Removal Order
California Democrats condemned ICE’s arrest of two members of a Guatemalan family at San Francisco International Airport — identified by DHS as Angelina Lopez-Jimenez and Wendy Godinez-Jimenez and said to be subject to a 2019 final removal order — with DHS saying Lopez-Jimenez attempted to flee and resisted officers while being escorted to the international terminal. Rep. Doris Matsui and other Democrats demanded answers and criticized the action as reckless, while DHS said the arrest was unrelated to any plan to deploy ICE to assist TSA and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie called the incident isolated, saying SFPD only maintained public safety and local sanctuary policies remain unchanged.
📌 Key Facts
- DHS/ICE publicly identified the two people arrested as Angelina Lopez-Jimenez and Wendy Godinez-Jimenez, describing them as 'illegal aliens' from a family unit with a 2019 final removal order.
- DHS said Lopez-Jimenez attempted to flee and resisted law enforcement while being escorted to the international terminal for processing.
- DHS explicitly reiterated that the San Francisco arrest was not connected to the Trump administration’s plan to deploy ICE agents to assist TSA during the DHS shutdown.
- Rep. Doris Matsui called the woman a 'Sacramento mother' and accused 'Trump's ICE agents' of 'disproportionate and deadly recklessness,' demanding answers.
- San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said city officials view the incident as isolated, reaffirmed that local sanctuary policies remain unchanged, and noted SFPD only maintained public safety and did not participate in the arrest.
📊 Relevant Data
In fiscal year 2025, ICE conducted 247 removal flights to Guatemala, making it one of the top destinations for deportations in Central America.
Chart: Most ICE Deportation Flights Are to Central America — Statista
More than 24,000 Guatemalans were deported from the US in 2025, according to the Guatemalan Institute for Migration.
Thousands of Guatemalans deported from US with nothing more than the contents of a white plastic sack — The Irish Times
Agricultural stress linked to climate change, along with violence and rural poverty, are key drivers increasing Guatemalan migration to the US border.
Increased Guatemalan migration to U.S. border linked to agricultural stress, violence, and climate change — Duke Sanford School of Public Policy
Guatemala received more US deportation flights than any other country in the first half of 2025, with 212 flights.
Dispatch from Guatemala: Five Alarming Trends in U.S. Immigration Detention and Removal — WOLA
California's Hispanic/Latino population increased by 1.7 million from 14.1 million in 2010 to 15.7 million in 2022, representing significant growth partly due to immigration.
California population by year, county, race, & more — USAFacts
In San Francisco County, the Hispanic or Latino population was approximately 134,659 in 2024, representing about 16.8% of the total population.
San Francisco County, California - U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — U.S. Census Bureau
Guatemalan migration to the US has been driven by factors including high poverty in rural areas, displacement due to natural disasters, and insecurity since the latter half of the 20th century.
Guatemalan Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- DHS/ICE publicly identified the two people arrested as Angelina Lopez-Jimenez and Wendy Godinez-Jimenez and described them as 'illegal aliens' from a family unit with a 2019 final removal order.
- DHS stated that Lopez-Jimenez attempted to flee and resisted law enforcement while being escorted to the international terminal for processing.
- Rep. Doris Matsui emphasized that the woman is a 'Sacramento mother' and accused 'Trump's ICE agents' of 'disproportionate and deadly recklessness' in a statement demanding answers.
- DHS explicitly reiterated that the San Francisco arrest was not connected to the Trump administration’s plan to deploy ICE agents to assist TSA during the DHS shutdown.
- San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said city officials view the incident as isolated, reaffirmed that local sanctuary policies remain unchanged, and noted SFPD only maintained public safety and did not participate in the arrest.