ICE Arrests Ecuadorian Woman on Southwest Jetway as Friend Screams
Federal immigration agents arrested an Ecuadorian woman Monday at Denver International Airport as she was trying to board a Southwest Airlines flight to Oakland, California.
The arrest happened on the jet bridge, where travelers were already lined up and moving toward the plane. Video circulating online shows plainclothes agents stopping 27-year-old Chantal Alejandra Morales Rojas before escorting her away from the boarding area.
As the scene unfolded, bystanders filmed. One person could be heard yelling, “Help us! ICE is here!” Morales Rojas’ traveling companion, identified as Alicia Dantzker, also recorded the encounter while demanding an attorney and shouting at the officers.
Agents then took Morales Rojas through a door leading to the tarmac and placed her into a Homeland Security vehicle, according to the video and reports about the incident. Dantzker continued yelling, at one point accusing the agents of being “evil.”
A Southwest gate agent also appeared to step in during the disruption, warning the companion that she would not be allowed to board the flight if she kept interfering with the law-enforcement action.
The Department of Homeland Security said Morales Rojas was in the country unlawfully because she overstayed her visa.
“On July 20, 2026, ICE arrested Chantal Alejandra Morales Rojas, an illegal alien from Ecuador. She entered the country on October 20, 2024, on a visa that would allow her to stay in the country until January 4, 2025. In violation of our nation’s laws, she overstayed her visa. She remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,” DHS said in a statement to CBS News.
That puts the case right in the middle of the national fight over immigration enforcement. Federal officials say she violated the terms of her visa and is now going through removal proceedings. Supporters say she had roots in California and was trying to return home to Oakland when ICE detained her.
Newsweek reported that a fundraiser launched after the airport arrest topped $100,000 in less than two days. The GoFundMe page describes Morales Rojas as a “beloved Oakland resident” and says she worked as an au pair for an ultimate frisbee family.
According to the fundraising campaign: “This fundraiser is for a beloved Oakland resident who spent two years as the au pair for an ultimate frisbee family, becoming an integral part of their lives and the local community. Chantal entered the United States lawfully in 2023 with a J-1 visa as an au pair, complied with the terms of her visa, and has a recent pending application with the immigration authorities that would provide her with status. She is now living and working in Oakland on a work permit. Recently, while trying to return home to Oakland, she was detained by ICE at the Denver airport. In a shocking turn of events, she was taken from the jetway and hustled into an unmarked van on the tarmac. With the help of friends and supporters, we have tracked her down to an ICE facility, and are now doing everything we can to secure the legal support she needs for the long fight ahead.”
DHS told Newsweek that Morales Rojas did not have to remain in ICE detention and could self-deport.
Southwest Airlines denied that it tipped off DHS about her immigration status. The airline said federal agencies already have access to passenger information through the normal security-screening process handled by TSA and DHS.
Southwest also said its employees are trained to make sure law-enforcement officers have the proper legal paperwork before conducting operations in gate areas. Denver International Airport said federal agencies have jurisdiction at the airport and do not have to notify airport officials before taking enforcement action.
The arrest is now drawing attention not just because of the immigration case, but because of where it happened: right on the jetway, moments before takeoff, in full view of passengers.