A 57-year-old man believed to be an Australian citizen was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles on Tuesday, one day after bystanders interrupted an attempted arrest at a Las Vegas airport.
Phu Nguyen, originally from Vietnam, was detained after landing at Los Angeles International Airport. ICE officials said he had overstayed his visa. The agency claimed in a social media post that Nguyen had benefited from "attempts by agitators to help him evade ICE officers" during the earlier incident at Harry Reid International Airport.
Video footage captured the Monday afternoon detention attempt, which drew attention from travelers in the terminal. Filmmakers Chris Motley recorded plainclothes agents in surgical masks attempting to handcuff Nguyen on the ground. An airport security officer positioned himself between Nguyen and a growing crowd of onlookers before the agents stood up and left the scene, leaving handcuffs dangling from one of Nguyen's wrists.
Motley said on social media that he heard a cry for help while walking through the terminal. He noted that Nguyen remained partially handcuffed for more than an hour before police arrived and that medical personnel checked him over before he boarded his flight.
The incident has drawn criticism from elected officials and raised questions about ICE enforcement tactics. Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada condemned what she called the agency's "violent attempted arrest of an elderly man," noting the absence of uniforms, body cameras, and clear identification.
"Plain clothes. No uniforms. No body cameras. No identification. ICE is continuing to act with impunity," Rosen wrote on social media, warning that such actions undermine the tourism economy and create fear in communities.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was making urgent inquiries after learning of Nguyen's detention. The agency can provide consular assistance to Australian citizens but cannot secure their release from U.S. custody. The Department of Homeland Security described Nguyen as an "illegal alien and citizen of Australia born in Vietnam."
The detention comes as ICE faces increased scrutiny over its enforcement practices. Two men who were not targets of ICE action were killed by agents within a single week. The agency has recorded 22 deaths in custody during 2026, according to available records.
Senior Senate Democrats have criticized the Trump administration for rapidly expanding ICE's workforce. Chuck Schumer said the administration deployed 12,000 agents without adequate vetting and accused Republicans of granting the agency "vast power and no accountability" in pursuit of mass deportation goals.
Author James Rodriguez: "The Las Vegas footage reveals exactly what watchdogs fear: plainclothes agents, zero transparency, and civilians left questioning what they're witnessing in their own airport."
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