What Utah’s ACLU Says About Bystanders at ICE Arrests at SLC

(SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH) A 39-year-old woman from El Salvador was taken into custody during an ICE arrest at Salt Lake City International Airport, igniting a tense public debate over what bystanders can legally do when immigration agents move in. The ACLU of Utah says bystanders have the right to remain in public areas and to observe and record officers, as long as they do not interfere, a point that quickly became central after witnesses described a chaotic scene near baggage claim on October 29, 2025 in Salt Lake City.

The woman, identified as Marta Brizeyda Renderos Leiva, was arrested by plainclothes Homeland Security and Border Patrol agents acting on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Witnesses said Leiva was

“struggling, screaming for help”
as two plain-clothed ICE officers escorted her from the terminal. She was heard crying out,
“I have my papers,”
while people nearby pleaded with officers, saying,
“Have mercy on her. She’s a human being.”
The arrest unfolded in a high-traffic area of the airport, pulling travelers into a sudden and deeply emotional confrontation that has spread quickly through Salt Lake City and across social media.

Leiva received a final “removal in absentia” order on February 19, 2020, according to information shared about her case, and will be held in ICE custody pending removal to El Salvador. ICE later said its enforcement action complied with immigration law and emphasized that consequences apply regardless of nationality.

“All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality,”
the agency said.

Salt Lake City officials said the operation was federal and was not coordinated with city police. The Salt Lake City Council said,

“Incidents like this create fear and uncertainty in our community. The operation was not coordinated with or directed by Salt Lake City Police.”
Local leaders acknowledged that officers from the city’s police department were present and observed but did not interfere, consistent with the city’s stance of noninvolvement in federal immigration enforcement actions within public spaces like the airport lobby.

The city’s mayor condemned the impact of the operation on residents.

“Nothing about this incident, like so many ICE operations, makes me feel safer as an American,”
said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, who also described the emotional toll the episode took on her and others.
“I am left wondering and aching from the fear and pain these types of operations keep striking in my heart and the hearts of so many of us.”
Mendenhall’s comments reflect a broader concern voiced by some local officials and community advocates that ICE arrest operations in public places can sow anxiety and confusion, particularly when agents are in plain clothes and immediate context is unclear.

As videos and accounts from the airport circulated, the ACLU of Utah moved to clarify bystander rights, underscoring that people may remain in public spaces and record what they see, provided they do not physically interfere with officers. The group stresses that bystanders can observe from a reasonable distance, take video or notes, and continue to stand in public areas so long as they are not blocking officers or impeding the arrest. Its public guidance emphasizes de-escalation and factual accuracy:

“Stay calm, don’t resist or obstruct the officers. Don’t lie or give false documents.”
The organization also advises that if someone believes their rights were violated during an ICE arrest, they can file a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, or contact the ACLU of Utah’s intake team. The federal complaints portal is available through the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

The scene at the Salt Lake City airport has quickly become a flashpoint for discussions about bystander rights and responsibilities in public enforcement actions. Advocates point out that public areas like airport lobbies are exactly the kind of spaces where the right to observe and record is strongest. In this case, witnesses’ accounts—of Leiva crying

“I have my papers,”
and of onlookers saying,
“Have mercy on her. She’s a human being”—
have shaped how the community understands what happened. For many viewers, those words and the described images of Leiva
“struggling, screaming for help”
brought immediacy to a process that is often obscured by legal terms and administrative language.

City records reviewed after the arrest indicated Leiva’s Utah court history included only a minor parking infraction. That detail, cited by local officials in the aftermath, has added fuel to questions raised by immigrant rights advocates about enforcement priorities and the proportionality of deploying federal agents in a public travel hub for someone with what appears to be a limited local record. ICE has not publicly discussed her full immigration case beyond noting the existence of the final removal order and the agency’s general policy that a final order can lead to detention and removal.

The Salt Lake City Council’s statement drew a bright line between city government and federal agencies, a friction that surfaces regularly around immigration enforcement. By stating,

“The operation was not coordinated with or directed by Salt Lake City Police,”
the council stressed that the city’s law enforcement resources were not used to plan or carry out the arrest, even as officers on the ground observed the situation. For city leaders, that distinction matters both legally and politically, reflecting efforts to reassure residents that local public safety agencies are not tasked with immigration enforcement.

For people who found themselves just steps away from the ICE arrest, the question has been what they could do without crossing the line into obstruction. The ACLU of Utah’s guidance has centered on a few clear points. People can lawfully observe and record in public areas such as the airport lobby, and they may remain present as long as they do not physically interfere with officers. Recording video or taking notes is allowed in public spaces, but attempting to block officers or physically intervene is not. The group also points to complaint options if someone believes their rights were infringed—either by submitting a written report to federal civil rights officials or by contacting the ACLU of Utah’s Intake Department for further steps.

Advocates say those guardrails serve two aims at once: preserving bystander rights and protecting the integrity of the enforcement process. In practical terms, that means bystanders can document what they see during an ICE arrest in Salt Lake City or anywhere else in the state while keeping a safe distance and avoiding physical interference. Videos and notes may later support complaints or legal reviews, especially in incidents where force is used, commands are unclear, or the person being taken into custody is in distress.

Leiva’s detention stems from a final

“removal in absentia”
order issued on February 19, 2020, meaning an immigration judge ordered her removal when she was not present in court. In Utah and nationally, such orders can be enforced years later, and ICE officers often execute them in public settings if that is where they locate the individual. The arrest near the baggage area added a human dimension to that process, with bystanders pulled into an unexpected confrontation as they waited for their luggage or greeted arriving family members.

The clash between the federal message and local reaction has defined the aftermath. ICE pointed to its authority to detain people under final removal orders, reiterating that enforcement applies across the board:

“All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality.”
City leaders focused on community impact.
“Nothing about this incident, like so many ICE operations, makes me feel safer as an American,”
Mayor Mendenhall said, adding,
“I am left wondering and aching from the fear and pain these types of operations keep striking in my heart and the hearts of so many of us.”
The Salt Lake City Council’s warning that
“Incidents like this create fear and uncertainty in our community”
amplified that view.

While national policy battles continue, the immediate changes in Utah may revolve around clearer guidance for residents on their rights during federal arrests and a renewed push for transparency from federal agencies conducting operations in crowded public places. The ACLU of Utah’s message emphasizes calm, distance, documentation, and recourse after the fact.

“Stay calm, don’t resist or obstruct the officers. Don’t lie or give false documents,”
the group advises, framing a step-by-step approach that helps bystanders exercise their rights without risking arrest for obstruction or interference.

For travelers who witnessed the ICE arrest in Salt Lake City, the images have been hard to shake: a woman yelling

“I have my papers,”
bystanders saying
“Have mercy on her. She’s a human being,”
and the surge of emotion as agents moved quickly through a public space. It is precisely in those moments, civil rights advocates say, that bystander rights matter most—when the urge to help collides with the legal limits of what people in the crowd are allowed to do. As the case proceeds and Leiva remains in ICE custody pending removal to El Salvador, city officials and civil rights groups continue to field questions from residents about what is lawful, what is wise, and how to balance the duty to document with the need to avoid interference.

The airport incident has become a test for Salt Lake City’s conversation on immigration enforcement, public safety, and bystander rights. It is also a window into how ICE arrest operations can ripple through a community in an instant, setting off a chain of official statements, legal clarifications, and personal reactions that linger long after the terminal has cleared. For now, the rules the ACLU of Utah highlights remain straightforward: observe from public spaces, record if you wish, do not intervene physically, and seek accountability through formal complaints if you believe rights were violated. In a city where the airport connects thousands of people every day, those guidelines may shape how the next unexpected encounter between federal officers and a member of the public unfolds.