A San Francisco International Airport contract for facial recognition technology that sends data to Customs and Border Protection violates local sanctuary city policies, advocates said at an Airport Commission meeting Tuesday. Edward Hasbrouck, a consultant to the Identity Project, a human rights organization focused on freedom of movement, said documents he obtained through a public-records request show SFO agreed to pay $2 million a year starting in late 2024 to operate a facial recognition system. The manufacturer, SITA Information Networking Computing USA Inc., exports the data it collects to federal immigration authorities assisting in detention and deportation of immigrants, according to the contract. The document details the capabilities of the company’s Facepod device, stationed at departure gates in terminals 1 and 2, and International Terminal B. Hasbrouck underscored that data shared with Customs and Border Protection can trigger alerts to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Douglas Yakel, an airport spokesperson, said in an interview that the airport itself does not collect or share passenger information, adding, “We don’t own facial recognition technology.” Asked in an email to clarify whether contractors themselves owned the devices, Yakel did not reply in time for publication. Criticism of the airport’s practices come at a time when rules governing surveillance technology use across city government have come under scrutiny and regulations are being rolled back. An ordinance proposed and passed last month by the Board of Supervisors reduced oversight of several departments, including the airport. Information about passengers’ identities and itineraries are routinely shared with the government through private companies. For instance, federal law requires airlines to submit traveler data to the Transportation Security Administration. “Airports don’t have the authority to decide what type of federal agency activity occurs within our airport,” Yakel said. The airport signed the contract with SITA on Dec. 3, 2024, and