- An investigation found 25 people held beyond 72 hours at SFO from January through July 2026.
- Nineteen of those SFO detainees had valid green cards; the airport ranked second nationally for extended holds.
- A lawful permanent resident said an eight-day detention disrupted diabetes care and left him sleeping in a chair.
Sen. Alex Padilla made an unannounced visit to the Customs and Border Protection holding area at San Francisco International Airport after reports that immigrants, including green card holders, had been kept there for days. His inspection renewed scrutiny of prolonged airport detention, which CBP generally seeks to limit to 72 hours.
The visit followed concerns raised by constituents about medical care and access to lawyers. Padilla’s office also said people had reported a lack of beds.
Padilla said the reports described valid permanent residents and other immigrants held for extended periods without adequate care or legal representation. The room is in the International Terminal.
The facility is a 3,000-square-foot windowless space where travelers are sometimes held for days. The accounts have prompted questions about conditions and the length of custody.
Most of the SFO detainees held past 72 hours had green cards
An investigation into airport detention records found that 25 people were held at SFO for more than 72 hours from January through July 2026. Nineteen of them had valid green cards.
The same period saw more than 400 people held beyond 72 hours at international airports nationwide. Of those, 146 had valid green cards. SFO ranked second nationally for extended airport detentions, behind Miami.
Padilla described the reported conditions in stark terms:
“No one in our state or country should have to live in fear of this Administration’s cruelty and attacks on immigrants. And yet, there are extremely concerning reports that valid green card holders and other immigrants are being detained at SFO for days on end without access to adequate medical care or legal representation.”
The figures put the local reports within a broader pattern of lengthy airport holds. The accounts also include complaints about limited phone access and detainees sleeping upright in chairs beneath lights that remain on.
A resident said an eight-day hold left him without adequate diabetes care
A 67-year-old lawful permanent resident was held at SFO for eight days in March 2026, according to the account of his detention. He said he slept in a chair in a room where the lights stayed on continuously and that he did not receive adequate diabetes care.
CBP’s general policy is to try to keep airport detention under 72 hours. Holds that exceed that benchmark have drawn criticism, particularly where detainees say they lacked access to medical care or legal assistance.
The legal position is not the same as a guarantee that a permanent resident will be admitted without inspection. CBP may detain a lawful permanent resident at a port of entry when it believes the person requires inspection or may be inadmissible. Extended confinement can raise policy and due-process concerns.
Mullin saw five detainees after an initial refusal of entry
Rep. Kevin Mullin, who represents California’s 15th Congressional District, first attempted an unannounced inspection on August 20, 2026. Officials initially turned him away. He returned and gained access on August 26, 2026, when he observed five detainees.
Mullin said people were being held “for days on end” and that detainees had different legal statuses, including people lawfully present in the United States. He was “shocked” by the sleeping conditions, according to accounts of his visit.
His inspection preceded Padilla’s. Together, the visits brought attention to a holding area that lawmakers and detainees have described as functioning as a detention facility, while CBP carries out immigration processing at the airport.
CBP controls airport immigration enforcement, SFO says
CBP said the facility provides appropriate accommodations and medical access when needed. The agency also said some travelers require additional processing depending on the circumstances of their cases.
Doug Yakel, San Francisco International Airport’s public information officer, said federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, have “extensive regulatory authority” at U.S. airports over customs and immigration enforcement. He said the airport “does not have the authority to regulate or prohibit such activities.”
Yakel said airport officials do not decide whether travelers may enter the country or how the holding facility is used. The division of authority leaves immigration enforcement and detention decisions with federal agencies, not airport administrators.
Congressional inspection authority has been reaffirmed
Section 527 of the annual Department of Homeland Security appropriations law permits members of Congress to make unannounced visits to immigration detention facilities. Federal court decisions in late 2025 and 2026 reaffirmed that authority after executive efforts to require advance notice.
The inspection authority gives lawmakers a route to visit facilities without scheduling access in advance. At SFO, the reported holds exceeding CBP’s 72-hour benchmark remain at the center of scrutiny.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
