Latest news with #ICEraid
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
San Diego lawmakers demand federal investigation into ICE raid at local restaurants
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Local and state lawmakers are calling for a federal investigation into a recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid that took place at two popular San Diego restaurants. The operation, which occurred on May 30 at Buona Forchetta and Enoteca Buona Forchetta, has sparked outrage over what critics describe as 'excessive' and 'theatrical' enforcement tactics. In a formal letter sent to ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), along with Representatives Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50) and Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52), demanded an investigation into the use of force, legal compliance, and community impact of the raid. The lawmakers cited reports that approximately 20 ICE agents in military-style gear entered the restaurants during peak dining hours, deploying flash-bang grenades and detaining four employees. Witnesses say the raid caused panic among patrons and staff. RELATED: Outrage and solidarity after ICE raid shakes South Park restaurant 'This troubling incident is not an isolated case,' the lawmakers wrote. 'Rather, it appears to be part of a broader pattern of escalated and theatrical immigration enforcement operations across the country.' The lawmakers pointed to other recent ICE actions — including a raid at a Los Angeles nightclub and an arrest in Massachusetts where agents smashed in a car window to detain a Guatemalan man — as part of what they describe as a disturbing trend of high-profile, aggressive tactics targeting immigrant communities. The raid has drawn strong criticism from local leaders, including San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who condemned its impact on public trust, safety and the local economy. Community advocates also expressed concern about the effect the operation could have on immigrants' willingness to report crimes or engage with law enforcement. The letter outlines several questions for ICE, including what threat assessments justified the use of flash-bang devices in a civilian dining environment, whether legal protocols were followed, and whether local authorities were consulted beforehand. RELATED: California senator slams ICE raid at South Park restaurants: 'weaponized hate' Padilla, Schiff, Peters, and Vargas also raised concerns about broader immigration enforcement practices under the Trump Administration, linking the San Diego operation to what they called a 'misuse' of federal power aimed at instilling fear rather than ensuring public safety. Along with their call for an investigation, the lawmakers also sent a separate letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, expressing alarm over ICE agents targeting immigrants at courthouses, including the San Diego Immigration Court. The ICE raid has become a flashpoint in California's ongoing struggle with federal immigration enforcement, especially in sanctuary cities where officials have sought to create a more welcoming environment for immigrant communities. The lawmakers have requested a detailed report from ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility by July 7. As of now, ICE has not publicly responded to the demands. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Federal documents on Buona Forchetta ICE raid released
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Newly obtained documents reveal what led to the Department of Homeland Security raid on Buona Forchetta Friday evening. About a week prior to the raid, Homeland Security officers staked out the property, attempting to find 19 apparent undocumented employees. That surveillance ultimately led to the dramatic scene on Friday where frustration and anger boiled over in front of the restaurant in South Park. 'We started hearing these bangs,' South Park resident Sara Kincaid said while she was out at the dog park with her dog. The protest erupting as federal agents showed up to the restaurant, detaining at least two employees. Buona Forchetta to close temporarily following ICE raid in South Park 'I couldn't tell if they were shotguns or flash bangs, so we kind of stayed over there and were just freaked out,' South Park resident Marshall Nolen said. According to the search warrant, DHS believes 19 people, or about half of the employees at Buona Forchetta, did not have the proper documentation to work at the restaurant. 'Wow, this is hitting so close to home,' Kincaid said. 'You hear about it in the news, but you don't usually expect to see it in your backyard.' DHS received their first tip about the Italian diner five years ago when a tipster claimed the owner, Matteo Cattaneo, employed people not authorized to work in the United States and forced them to work 12-hour shifts without any breaks. 'I've never gone in there and seen an unhappy face. I mean Matteo's someone who is very vital to the community. He does a lot for San Diego,' Kincaid said about the owner. Homeland Security investigators received their second tip in January 2025, saying the business employed undocumented workers, but this tipster made no claims of mistreatment. 'It didn't feel like all the tactical gear and the flash bang was necessary,' South Park resident Erica Nolen said. DHS officers planned to conduct the raid in the evening hours because that's when most of the target employees arrive at the restaurant. 'If we're actually here to administer justice, then display your evidence,' Marshall Nolen said. 'Display your reasoning. Don't just roll in with a bunch of tactical gear in a neighborhood with people wearing flip flops. You know like, c'mon.' Buona Forchetta shut down all their locations on Monday and Tuesday, saying in a statement, 'The traumatic incident involving a federal enforcement operation at our original and beloved South Park location has left a mark on all of us. A wound that is still raw, still echoing in our kitchens, our dining rooms and our hearts.' The statement went on to thank the community for showing up with flowers and signs in support of the business. 'I love how our industry comes together, how the community comes together,' Kincaid said after seeing the response while eating at the restaurant on Saturday. Several community members and businesses in South Park started a GoFundMe to support the detained employees and their families. In less than 24 hours, they have exceeded their goal of $60,000. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
South China Morning Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Armed ICE raid on Filipino teachers in Hawaii decried as ‘abuse of power' by US senators
A dawn raid by armed immigration agents on the home of Filipino teachers legally working in Hawaii has sparked outrage among migrant advocates and US lawmakers, who say the incident exemplifies the increasingly aggressive and indiscriminate enforcement tactics used by US President Donald Trump 's administration. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained 12 Filipino educators from their residence on the island of Maui on May 6. All had been recruited under the J-1 non-immigrant visa programme – a cultural exchange scheme widely used to fill public school teaching posts amid chronic shortages in Hawaii. The raid, which witnesses described as 'traumatic', lasted more than 45 minutes and ended without arrests. The operation stunned the local community, with teachers' unions and migrant workers' groups condemning what they characterised as heavy-handed enforcement tactics against foreign workers engaged in legally sanctioned employment. 'For Filipinos, this is a chance to seek work abroad to provide for their families back home, but it can also come with challenges of racism and navigating an unfamiliar country,' according to Kami Yamamoto, interim executive director of the Hawaiʻi Workers Centre (HWC), a labour advocacy organisation. Yamamoto argued the teachers on J-1 visas were deliberately targeted 'because there is a concerted effort to crackdown on migrants in the US, regardless of their immigration status'.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Kid Rock hits back at reports his Nashville restaurant closed to help workers avoid ICE raids
Kid Rock has hit back at claims his Nashville bar and restaurant sent staff home to avoid an ICE raid last week. During a recent busy Saturday service, non-citizen employees were reportedly told to leave Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N' Roll Steakhouse, which opened in 2018, alongside three other restaurants owned by Nashville businessman and Trump supporter Steve Smith. The MAGA-supporting musician has now pushed back at the claims, without explicitly denying them. 'Clearly I do not have anything to do with day to day operations at my Honky Tonk - but it's good click bait, I get it,' he began on X Monday in response to a news report on the incident. 'That being said, I 100% support getting illegal criminals out of our country, no matter where they are. I also like [that] President Trump want[s] to speed up the process of getting GREAT immigrants into our country - LEGALLY!' he exclaimed in the X post. 'It's that simple, folks. But the below is not a juicy enough headline to get clicks and this day and age, the truth often is not.' Rock, real name Robert Ritchie, is a vocal ally of the president and recently appeared at the White House for the signing of an executive order targeting ticket scalpers. The reports of staff being sent home from his restaurant came from an unnamed employee who spoke to the media. 'Around 9.30 p.m. on Saturday, our manager came back and told anyone without legal status to go home,' the anonymous worker told the Nashville Scene. 'Events at the Ryman, Ascend, the Savannah Bananas' baseball game all let out, and it was crazy busy. But there was no one in the kitchen to cook the food.' ICE confirmed there had been several raids across Nashville that weekend, which they said resulted in the arrest of 196 'criminal illegal aliens', 95 of whom 'had prior criminal convictions and pending criminal charges, while 31 were previously removed individuals who reentered the United States illegally, a felony offense under federal law,' according to an official statement posted the Monday after. Of the arrests in Nashville, one was a 33-year-old El Salvadorian national and MS-13 affiliate gang member who had drug convictions and an active Red Notice for aggravated murder, ICE claims.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
ICE arrest sparks chaos as crowd tried to intervene
A chaotic scene unfolded in Worcester, Massachusetts, as onlookers attempted to intervene in an ICE raid, leading to the additional arrest of a 16-year-old mother and another woman who was charged with assaulting an officer with an unknown liquid.
