San Francisco Chronicle investigation revealed CBP held dozens of SFO detainees, including green-card holders, beyond 72-hour legal limit

A San Francisco Chronicle data investigation, reported September 1, 2026, found that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been holding travelers at San Francisco International Airport beyond the agency's own 72-hour detention limit -- at least 25 people through July 2026, 19 of them lawful permanent residents, with a median detainee age of 57. Federal data cited in the reporting showed more than 400 people held beyond 72 hours at international airports nationwide since January 2026, including 146 lawful permanent residents. Detainees were held in a windowless room in SFO's Dianne Feinstein International Terminal under constant lighting, some sleeping upright in chairs for days, with food from airport concession stands and only occasional supervised phone calls; attorneys said detainees were denied contact with legal counsel. One detainee, a diabetic in his 60s, went eight days without access to his blood-sugar testing supplies before his condition became severe enough that guards called paramedics; another spent eight days without a bed, shower, or change of clothes. Immigration attorneys said the holds represented a departure from "deferred inspection," a process that had previously let green-card holders leave the airport with a later appointment to resolve status questions.

Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-San Mateo), whose district includes SFO, sought an unannounced oversight visit to the facility after learning of the Chronicle's findings. CBP denied him entry on August 20, 2026, later telling his office the denial was intentional but mistaken; Mullin returned six days later and was allowed inside, where he saw five detainees in a 3,000-square-foot holding room monitored by CBP officers and a two-way observation mirror. CBP officers told Mullin the extended holds began in early 2026 and reflected "a definitive policy shift from the Trump administration," adding that weekend court closures can push some holds to five or six days while the agency awaits certified court records. Some green-card holders were flagged for extended holds over past arrests or convictions, including decades-old, non-violent, or expunged cases. CBP officers also confirmed people arrested at other California airports, including Fresno, were being transported hours away to SFO for detention.