A Phoenix couple has filed a lawsuit against United Airlines over the detention of passenger Patience Gore at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, alleging a gate agent repeatedly called her to the boarding area where plainclothes ICE officers were waiting. The suit centres on an incident at Terminal 3 on 15 March, when the couple was preparing to fly from Phoenix to Washington Dulles and claims the airline helped create the conditions for Gore’s arrest.
The complaint alleges negligence and false imprisonment and seeks damages above $75,000, including legal costs and losses tied to a disrupted IVF cycle. Gore was reportedly moved through several Arizona facilities, including the ICE Phoenix Field Office, Florence Detention Centre and Eloy Detention Centre, before release after her lawyer filed an uncontested habeas petition.
The case adds to scrutiny of airport law enforcement access and ICE arrests inside terminals, an issue that has drawn wider attention in recent aviation and business coverage. No official United response was included in the available reporting, and the allegations have not been tested in court.