CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia man mistakenly detained by federal immigration agents on a jet bridge says he wants answers about the airline’s role in the encounter and what airlines are obligated to do when immigration agents seek access to passengers.
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John Phillips is a U.S. citizen. Phillips said Delta employees at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport told him his seat was being upgraded, but that, because of technical issues, he needed to board last.
When Phillips returned to the gate, however, he said he was assigned the same seat he originally had.
Instead of an upgraded seat, he walked down the jet bridge to find three U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents waiting. They handcuffed him. He said he was detained for about five minutes.
ICE released him after realizing they had detained the wrong man. The agency was looking for a British man who was also named John Phillips.
Phillips not only is questioning how ICE confused his identity. He also wants to know why Delta employees told him to board last and whether the airline cooperated with federal agents.
“I feel like they really did me wrong,” Phillips said. “To be set up like that, to be kind of funneled into a trap, I don’t think that’s the right way to treat your customers.”
Delta told Channel 2 Action News it is investigating the incident internally.
“Delta’s role is to ensure flights operate safely and that our customers are treated with respect,” a Delta spokesperson said. “Our care team has been in touch with this customer directly to listen and apologize for their experience.”
Delta flew Phillips back to Atlanta in first class Tuesday.
Phillips called the upgrade a “good gesture” but said it did not resolve his concerns.
“It’s a deeper problem that needs to be addressed,” he said.
Phillips says he wants to know whether Delta routinely cooperates with ICE, whether the airline allows federal agents onto jet bridges or aircraft, and what information--if any--the airline provided that may have contributed to the mistake.
Channel 2 asked Delta about its policies as immigration arrests surge across the country.
Delta said it does not have a specific policy on how staff should cooperate with ICE. The airline said it shares certain passenger information as required by federal law.
Beyond those requirements, Delta said law enforcement must provide valid subpoenas or warrants for access to information.
Channel 2 also contacted other major U.S. airlines about their procedures.
Southwest Airlines said law enforcement also must provide valid documentation.
Immigration attorney Charles Kuck told Channel 2 airlines do not have an obligation to give federal agents access to information, planes or jet bridges without a warrant.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, a labor union representing flight attendants at 20 airlines, says workers need clearer guidance about what to do when immigration agents seek access to a jet bridge or aircraft.
“To date, their responses have been insufficient to address questions from crews,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.
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