Video of the arrest posted on Facebook by Richmond City Councilmember Doria Robinson, shows Iryna Gorb asking for help as agents detain her at the airport.
Andy Elbin, who said he has known Gorb for about 15 years, told ABC7 Eyewitness News he received a call from her Wednesday night.
"I picked it up it was her at the detention facility in Stockton," Elbin said. "She let me know how she was doing was alright and that she was detained at SFO while deboarding a flight from Portland."
Elbin said Gorb has lived in the United States throughout the time he has known her and said that was working to find her- hoping to speak with her again.
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"It was a brief call- she sounded alright, honestly more in shock than anything else," he said. "She didn't seem like she had full insight into what was going on. She told me that she believes she is going to be transferred to Cal City."
In a statement to ABC7 Eyewitness News, the Department of Homeland Security said:
"On July 22, ICE arrested Iryna Gorb, an illegal alien from Ukraine at the San Francisco International Airport. When officers approached Gorb, she attempted to flee and resisted arrest.... Gorb overstayed her visa and remained in the United States illegally for 15 years in violation of our nation's laws. She will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings."
ABC7 Eyewitness News also asked DHS about what appeared to be agents wearing plain clothes in the video.
The inquiry follows scrutiny over ICE agent identification stemming from recent incidents, including fatal shootings and a botched plainclothes arrest in Las Vegas. ABC7 Eyewitness News previously reported that current requirements call for agents to wear identifiable field attire, including clearly visible badges.
DHS did not provide an explanation regarding the attire of the agents shown in the video.