An Aurora family’s trip to Texas went awry when Dallas Fort Worth Public Safety officers confronted a young woman, accusing her of trafficking her adoptive younger sister, after passengers on a Frontier Airlines flight raised concerns.
When 21-year-old Lakeyjanay Bailey, who is Black, traveled with her adoptive white sister Olivia, 4, from Denver to Dallas on July 20, authorities were waiting for them inside the gate by the time they landed at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
Bailey told Denver7 News that the officers approached her and asked if it they could talk. One officer turned to Olivia and asked how Bailey was related to her and how Bailey’s mother was related to her.
As it turns out, passengers on the Frontier Airlines flight had raised concerns about human trafficking to staff on the flight and the airline had requested that officers to respond when the plane landed.
In order to confirm pieces of information, officers spoke with Bailey’s mother, with a social worker, and with the person who arrived to pick them up from the airport. Bailey said that people in the airport were watching and whispering as the questioning continued.
According to Bailey, the suspicion was fueled by racism. “If the roles were changed and it was a white person walking off the plane with a Black person, like a Black child, I feel like things would be different,” Bailey said.
Frontier Airlines explained in a statement how the confrontation with officers came about.
“A concern was raised during the flight by another passenger who was sitting near the woman and child and suspected human trafficking. That passenger approached the flight crew with those concerns and subsequently completed a written report during the flight to document her observations,” the statement said.
According to the statement, the captain on the flight felt obligated to take action, and race played no part in the decision to contact authorities.
“The captain was notified and felt an obligation to report the matter. Air travel is one of the most common means for human trafficking. Race played no part in the actions of the flight crew who were following established protocols.”
Bailey said in an interview with Denver7, “I feel bad knowing that we might have to go through that a lot.” The family is considering filing a lawsuit against the airline.
