Loved ones of the San Francisco woman who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at San Francisco International Airport earlier this week say they have received phone calls from her while she is being held at the California City ICE Detention Facility. They said that after phon e system issues throughout the day, they were able to get a call from her Saturday night, where she told them she is meeting other detainees at the facility who also live in San Francisco and were also arrested recently at airports, including at San Francisco International Airport. Friends said this woman is Iryna Gorb, who has lived in San Francisco for 10 years and is known by many as a barista, photographer and friend. “She works at a cafe called Better Half, she’s worked at a few others in her time here,” said her friend Andy Eblin of San Francisco. Eblin said Gorb called him Wednesday evening from the Stockton ICE Field Office, where she told him she was taken immediately after her arrest. Since then, he said she has been taken to the California City Detention Facility. Eblin has been able to receive several phone calls from Gorb in the days since, and has been working with a group of more than a dozen of her friends to coordinate logistical and legal support. He noted that the length of the allowed phone calls she can make varies significantly, and that for most of the day Saturday her calls did not go through. “She would be the first one to want me to say, this is part of a bigger story,” Eblin noted. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to NBC Bay Area that they arrested Gorb, whom they identified as being from Ukraine, at SFO on Wednesday. “When officers approached Gorb, she attempted to flee and resisted arrest,” a DHS spokesperson said, adding that Gorb overstayed her visa by 15 years and will “remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.” The arrest was captured on video Wednesday night at the Harvey Milk Terminal of SFO by Richmond City Council member Doria Robinson, showing Gorb screaming, pinned down on the ground by two men. The men appear to be in plainclothes and did not respond in the video to questions from others in the airport about who they work with or why they are arresting her. Robinson said the men handcuffed Gorb and carted her away in a wheelchair. That video has now been shared widely across many accounts and news outlets on social media. “That video has helped a ton with attention,” said Eblin, “it’s impossible for me to watch, but without it, we wouldn’t have had the response we’ve had.” NBC Bay Area asked the Department of Homeland Security about the video and about why the officers are not seen wearing identifying clothing and did not respond to questions about who they work for. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson responded, “When our heroic law enforcement officers conduct operations, they clearly identify themselves as law enforcement.” Robinson maintains that at no point when she was recording the video or when she was in the terminal did she see the men wearing any identifying clothing. She also said she did not hear the men say who they worked for or what they were doing. Gorb’s friends said that she has many contacts in the arts and fashion community in San Francisco and that she had her own vintage shop out of a studio in the city for a while. Eblin said that when Gorb first called him from ICE custody, she told him to let her manager at the coffee shop know that she wouldn’t be able to work and to let her friends know that she would be unable to watch their cats for them. Gorb’s case is getting focus from elected officials as well. San Francisco Supervisor Danny Sauter described the video of her arrest as “sickening.” “I’m in touch with immigration lawyers and legal defense partners who are supporting Iryna,” Sauter said. “She also has the strength of countless friends and neighbors who know her as the valued part of San Francisco that she is.” State Sen. Scott Wiener also condemned Gorb’s arrest and said in a statement, “Iryna Gorb made a home in San Francisco and is one of many people who help make San Francisco run. She is part of our community.” Gorb’s friends said they have been in touch with Wiener’s office as well as the offices of other local elected officials, sharing concern about growing reports of ICE arrests at airports. Several Bay Area immigration attorneys told NBC Bay Area that they have been hearing about an uptick in ICE arrests at airports in recent weeks and are advising clients not to fly. Gorb’s friends said she is working with an attorney and is making a petition for her release. ...read more read less