How the Trump Administration Is Using SFO as a ‘De Facto Detention Center’
The Department of Homeland Security has ramped up immigration arrests at airports, including at SFO.
Passengers wait for their flight at San Francisco International Airport on Dec. 10, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
The Trump administration has ramped up immigration arrests at airports in recent months, including at San Francisco International Airport.
According to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle, Customs and Border Protection has also been holding immigrants at SFO – in some cases, for more than a week. Reporter Sara DiNatale joins us to explain how the airport has become a de facto detention center.
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