United Airlines Sued Over Alleged Collusion with ICE in Passenger Detention at Phoenix Sky Harbor

Passenger Detained After Gate Call

Patience Gore, a Zimbabwean national, is suing United Airlines, claiming the carrier collaborated with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain her at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX). The incident occurred late on Sunday, March 15, when Gore and her partner were scheduled to fly United flight UA-483 from Phoenix to Washington Dulles.

After checking in and clearing security, Gore heard repeated announcements over the airport intercom system, imploring "Passenger Patience Gore, please come to the gate." Despite having her boarding pass and no apparent issues during check-in, Gore proceeded to Gate E7.

Upon her arrival, a United gate agent reportedly engaged with Gore about her boarding pass before three male undercover ICE agents, without visible identification, surrounded her and made it clear she was not free to leave, according to the lawsuit.

Two Weeks in Immigration Custody

Following her detention at Gate E7, Patience Gore was escorted out of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and transported to a detention facility in Florence, Arizona, where she was held for three days. She was then transferred to the Eloy Detention Centre.

The lawsuit alleges that during her two-week confinement, Gore was forced to sleep on a mattress placed directly on the floor, subjected to repeated lockdowns, and denied access to a change of clothes or basic personal necessities.

A court eventually ordered her release, concluding that Gore had previously been granted a withholding of removal, making her removal to Zimbabwe unlikely in the near future. The detention caused Gore to miss a scheduled round of IVF treatment at home, and a subsequent replacement cycle did not result in pregnancy, as detailed in the legal filing.

Lawsuit Alleges Negligence and False Imprisonment

A new lawsuit, filed by Patience Gore in an Arizona district court, claims United Airlines is banned from communicating with law enforcement, including ICE, and from sharing passenger data without proper authorisation.

The legal action asserts that United "retained control over how it exercised its own passenger announcement authority and used that authority in a manner that created the appearance of legitimate airline business when no airline-related issue was identified." Gore alleges that the presence of ICE agents at the gate, combined with the repeated announcements and the gate agents' swift loss of interest after identifying her, demonstrates she was called to the gate solely for detention purposes.

United Airlines faces allegations of negligence due to the misleading use of passenger announcements and false imprisonment, with Gore seeking damages and punitive damages exceeding $75,000. United Airlines has not yet provided an immediate public response to the request for comment.

Implications for Airline Protocol and Passenger Rights

This lawsuit raises significant questions for the aviation industry regarding airline accountability in interactions with law enforcement and the use of passenger communication systems.

Should Gore's claims prevail, it could prompt airlines to review and tighten their internal protocols concerning passenger data sharing and the conditions under which gate announcements are made, particularly when law enforcement involvement is anticipated.

The case highlights the potential for legal challenges when an airline's operational authority is perceived to facilitate passenger detention without a clear, legitimate airline-related reason.

Travellers may see increased scrutiny on how their data is handled and how airport announcements are utilised, potentially driving clearer guidelines on passenger rights during such incidents. The outcome of this case will show how courts interpret airline liability in situations where their services are allegedly used to assist in law enforcement actions.