Buona Forchetta reopens following workplace enforcement operation
'We came to support Matteo. I mean, we've been a customer of Buona Forchetta since 2014 when we first moved to San Diego,' said Dale Haas, a long-time customer.
Haas and Jason Gagnom were among the first to eat at the restaurant Wednesday after immigration officials conducted a workplace enforcement operation at the business.
PREVIOUS: Buona Forchetta to close temporarily following ICE raid in South Park
Federal agents were met with community members protesting their investigation. The raid ended with flashbangs and a shaken-up community.
'It was just unnecessary. The way this was done was just absolutely unnecessary,' said Gagnom.
They say they know all the employees at the South Park location where the raid happened feel like something happened to their family.
'They've invited us for Christmas, we've spent special occasions, birthdays…I would say hundreds of times we've come here…holidays,' they said. 'We always feel like this is a family place. Anytime we have guests in town, we always bring them to Buona Forchetta.'
Outrage and solidarity after ICE raid shakes South Park restaurant
The search warrant released this week shows the investigation dates back to 2020, when Homeland Security Investigations received a tip that the restaurant's owner was hiring immigrants in the country illegally and asking them to work long hours.
Homeland Security Investigations received another tip in January, accusing the restaurant of hiring people in the country illegally and using fake names on work schedules.
Investigators say that the restaurant submitted fraudulent green cards when asked to turn over employee I-9 forms.
As a result of the raid, at least two employees were taken into ICE custody.
'We believe in what Trump is doing and his message is, 'We're not going to stand for it,'' said Pedro Gonzalez, a customer.
While Gonzalez said he supports the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, he was thinking of the restaurant while in town and wanted to support it.
'Every business has an overhead cost and just because unfortunately, they had people working they maybe or maybe not…we don't know…shouldn't have been working here, we don't know that,' he said. 'Of course, that's going to be determined at a later date, but we're still going to support the business. It has amazing food.'
In a statement released Monday, Buona Forchetta said it received a copy of the warrant and is in the process of reviewing it with its legal counsel.
It said it will provide further comment as appropriate after review.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
23 minutes ago
- The Hill
GOP senator on DC carjacking fears: ‘I don't buckle up'
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) on Wednesday expressed his fear of being carjacked in the nation's capital, as the Trump administration ramps up its federal takeover of local law enforcement. 'And by the way, I'm not joking when I say this, I drive around in Washington, D.C., in my Jeep, and yes, I do drive myself, and I don't buckle up. And the reason why I don't buckle up, and people can say whatever they want to, they can raise their eyebrows at me again, is because of carjacking,' Mullin said during an appearance on Fox News's 'The Ingraham Angle.' 'I don't want to be stuck in my vehicle when I need to exit in a hurry, because I got a seatbelt around me and that — and I wear my seatbelt all the time,' he told host Brian Kilmeade, in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. 'But in Washington, D.C., I do not, because it is so prevalent of carjacking,' the Oklahoma Republican continued. 'And I don't want the same thing [to] happen to me what's happened to a lot of people that work on the hill.' President Trump announced earlier this week that his administration was taking control of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and deployed hundreds of National Guard soldiers to the area to combat crime and violence in the city. The move, sparked after a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer was attacked by teenagers during a carjacking — has received heavy blowback from Democrats and local officials. A provision in Washington's ' Home Rule Act ' allows the president to federalize the police force for up to 30 days — but any additional time requires Congressional approval. During a speech Wednesday from the Kennedy Center, Trump said he will seek a 'long-term' extension. 'Well, if it's a national emergency, we can do it without Congress,' Trump said, when asked about whether he's talked to lawmakers about extending the takeover. He added that he expects meet with Congress 'very quickly' and snag GOP support. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) signaled in a post online Wednesday that he and fellow Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) were working with the Trump administration on a safety package for the district. 'Together, we will try to shepherd the DC Security Fund through Congress to give President Trump the resources he will need to improve the safety and quality of life in our nation's capital,' he wrote on social platform X. 'Every American should be behind this effort to make Washington, DC clean and safe so that it can truly become the shining city on the hill.' For such a move to advance, however, it would likely need support from some Senate Democrats. Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) made clear that his caucus would not back the measure. 'No f‑‑‑ing way,' he told podcast host Aaron Parnas. 'We'll fight him tooth and nail. … He needs to get Congress to approve it, and not only are we not going to approve it, but there are some Republicans who don't like either.' D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has also pushed back on Trump's moves, calling them an 'authoritarian push' as data shows the crime rate declining in the nation's capital. The mayor has also used the national attention as a platform to reup the district's quest to gain statehood.
Associated Press
24 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Live updates: Federal agents will patrol Washington 24/7
The increased presence of local and federal law enforcement officers in Washington, D.C. has intensified in the days following President Donald Trump's unprecedented announcement that his administration would take over the city's police department for at least a month. For two days, small groups of federal officers had been visible in scattered areas of the city, but more were present in high-profile locations on Wednesday, setting up at least one vehicle checkpoint in a busy corridor that drew hecklers. Troops are expected to start more missions in Washington on Thursday, according to a National Guard spokesman who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the planning process. Update: Date: 2025-08-14 12:20:00 Title: Ask AP reporters a question Content: Update: Date: 2025-08-14 12:03:43 Title: Catch up on the latest headlines Content: AP Morning Wire curates the most important stories and sends them straight to your inbox. Sign up for the free newsletter here.
Bloomberg
24 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Trump Crackdown Snares More Migrants With No US Criminal Records
President Donald Trump, who has vowed to target the 'worst of the worst' in his mass deportation campaign, is overseeing a crackdown that's increasingly ensnaring foreigners without US criminal records. About 37% of Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in July were of people with no US criminal convictions or pending charges, according to federal data compiled by the University of California at Berkeley 's Deportation Data Project and updated this week. That's up from 13% in December, the last full month of Joe Biden's presidency.
