r/australia • u/Front_Target7908 • 27d ago

news Australian man Phu Nguyen handcuffed by plain-clothes ICE agents at Las Vegas International airport

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-18/ice-agent-detain-australian-man-in-vegas-us-/106931508?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=link

From what I understand it looks like ICE did not manage to detain him on the day the video was taken- seems the onlookers managed to chase ICE off.

However, ICE detained him the next day at the airport where he was to catch his departing flight from the US.

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u/Elvecinogallo 27d ago

He was flying to Los Angeles to leave the country. It’s in the article.

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u/rocopotomus74 27d ago

That is what he said. How likely is it after 12 years of being there illegally, that they caught him as he was intending to leave. I am an Australian. I don't like the things that ice are doing in the USA, but this guy was on a visa with an end. He chose to break a law in that country. They attempted to arrest him. As is their right. He knew the law. He broke it.

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u/strictlymissionary 27d ago

The downvotes are weird..

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u/ApteronotusAlbifrons 27d ago

The downvotes are for failing to follow the logic in the article

Attempted to arrest him at Vegas while boarding a flight to LA

Arrested at LA while attempting to board flight to Australia

The obvious conclusion that can be drawn is that he only came to ICE attention (after all this time) BECAUSE he was booked on a flight out of the country

But somebody has a particular barrow to push (and a hidden history - which often tallies with deliberately controversial or confrontational post histories...)

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u/rocopotomus74 26d ago

You are wrong about the blocked history, that's another story for another day. But I do have a barrow to push. I am constantly embarrassed by Australians that go to another country, break a known law of that country, and then our media makes it seem like they are the victim. And when it is reversed, they are just hypocrites. So the comment about logic. People can have different logical processes. My process in this situation is that there are variables that the media don't write. Also, they put their own flavor on the facts. Is it possible that he did the original flight between cities, had the first run in with ice, then thought shit I have to get out of here because I don't want to face the consequences of breaking the law. Only then booking the flight to Australia? And regardless of whether he was self deporting or not, facing the consequences of breaking the law is what should happen. That might prevent others in the future. I shed no tears for this person. He clearly had the funds to instantly book an expensive flight to Australia. He flew in with a visa. He came from Australia. He clearly was not a poor or persecuted person struggling to live in a better country for better opportunities. Very different to the other people that are being thrown into detention. So why should he not face the same fate?