“I saw her swimming the Rio Grande”: Belligerent man threatens to call ICE on flight attendant, gets booted off American Airlines flight

A passenger was escorted off an American Airlines flight at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport after threatening to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on a flight attendant.

The incident delayed a scheduled flight to Las Vegas and drew widespread attention online as video showed the man making racist, inflammatory remarks while the flight attendant remained calm and professional.

Airport police eventually boarded the plane to remove the passenger.

The altercation began before the flight was even airborne. The MAGA passenger had been acting disruptively, and the crew had planned to remove him from the plane, but technical issues with the jetbridge delayed the process.

This forced everyone on board to endure the man's increasingly hostile behavior for longer than expected.

American Airlines flight attendant maintains composure during man's racist outburst

The incident escalated when the passenger directed a racist comment toward the flight attendant.

Loudly, he claimed, "I saw her, and her uncles and aunts and cousins swimming the goddamn Rio Grande." The passenger accused the flight attendant of using an "illegal social security number."

In response, the flight attendant calmly fired back, saying, "You’re a racist, that’s what you are."

Despite the charged atmosphere, the attendant remained composed, handling the situation with remarkable professionalism.

The confrontation continued as flight attendants tried to de-escalate the situation and get the man to return to his seat. Passengers, some in First Class, filmed the exchange, capturing the passenger’s rant and the crew’s efforts to manage the situation. 

"You had one job, and you executed perfectly thank you for not buckling when he saw you recording," one person commented on a TikTok video of the incident.

Another added, "I swear I think people slip things in peoples drinks at the airport, because there is no way people actually decided to crash out like this when flying. 🤔"

A third viewer added, "ATP I think the no fly list doesn’t exist cuz no one is scared of it."

Eventually, the flight, which was scheduled to depart for Las Vegas, was returned to the gate. Airport police boarded the plane to remove the unruly passenger, and the flight was delayed while American Airlines dealt with the incident.

FAA fines and consequences for unruly passengers

Beyond the immediate inconvenience to passengers, the man’s behavior may lead to more serious consequences. The Federal Aviation Administration has the authority to impose hefty fines on disruptive travelers, with penalties reaching up to $43,658 per violation, according to the FAA website.

The agency had previously implemented a zero-tolerance policy in response to a surge in unruly passenger behavior in 2021 and 2022. In 2025 alone, the FAA levied over $2.3 million in fines on unruly passengers, although bad behavior overall seems to have since improved.

American Airlines did not respond immediately to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.

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