Lawmakers call for investigation, demand answers following immigration raid at San Diego restaurants

Alexandra Mendoza, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Jun 6, 2025

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SAN DIEGO — Democratic members of Congress have sent a series of letters demanding answers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement following last week’s immigration raid at Buona Forchetta and Enoteca Buona Forchetta restaurants in San Diego's South Park neighborhood.

In one letter, U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with U.S. Reps. Juan Vargas, D-Chula Vista, and Scott Peters, D-San Diego, are calling for an investigation by ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility into the use of force and tactical decisions related to the May 30 immigration enforcement operation.

“This troubling incident is not an isolated case. Rather, it appears to be part of a broader pattern of escalated and theatrical immigration enforcement operations across the country,” the lawmakers said in a letter sent Friday to the associate director of ICE’s watchdog agency, Jennifer Fenton.

In the letter, lawmakers referenced other reported incidents across the country. Those include a raid last week on an underground nightclub in Los Angeles that resulted in the arrest of 36 people from China and Taiwan suspected of being in the country illegally, as well as an April incident in New Bedford, Mass., during which agents smashed a car window to arrest a Guatemalan man.

“These events raise serious questions about the appropriateness, proportionality, and execution of ICE tactics,” they said.

The group expressed concern after several federal agents wearing tactical gear arrived at the location to execute two search warrants, resulting in the arrest of four individuals and the detonation of flash-bang grenades during a community protest outside of the restaurants.

The investigation was related to “violations of hiring and harboring illegal aliens and false statements,” according to an ICE spokesperson.

Several San Diego groups, including immigrant rights, labor, and faith organizations, as well as elected leaders, held protests and press conferences outside the federal courthouse this week. They expressed strong concerns about the operation and condemned ICE’s actions.

In addition, Schiff, Vargas and Peters, joined by Democratic U.S. Reps. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, and Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, also sent two separate letters to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, denouncing the immigration raid in South Park.

“Given the publicly available information, using such extreme force in an operation against a cooperating business regarding employment violations is shocking,” lawmakers wrote. “The Administration’s use of these tactics also suggests the intent of the raid was not to uphold the law in a responsible manner, but rather to intimidate. This is unacceptable.

“The use of such tactics to execute warrants for non-violent crimes not only harms public trust in HSI and ICE, it also raises legitimate questions about the Department of Homeland Security’s stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” the group said.

Neither DHS nor ICE immediately responded to an email request for comment on the letters.

In a separate letter, the group of lawmakers, including Padilla, also expressed concerns about recent arrests outside of immigration courtrooms in San Diego.

Since last month, immigrant rights advocates have reported several cases of people being detained by ICE as they left their immigration hearings. In most instances, this occurred after the government moved to dismiss their cases.

“We support enforcement actions targeting dangerous convicted criminals who pose an imminent national security or public safety threat,” the letter reads. “However, arresting immigrants who do not pose a public safety threat, are following the proper procedures to seek relief from deportation, or are cooperating with the justice system deters other immigrants from safely engaging with the legal proceedings. Enforcement actions such as these discourage immigrants from collaborating with law enforcement, which makes all of us less safe.”

The delegation hoped to get answers on whether a recent directive had been issued calling for additional enforcement actions outside of courthouses. Among other concerns expressed in the letter, the lawmakers asked how many immigrants had been arrested, how many had prior criminal convictions and if the ICE agents received training for these kinds of arrests.

In a statement at the time, DHS said when asked about the arrests that “most aliens who illegally entered the United States within the past two years are subject to expedited removals.”

“(President Joe) Biden ignored this legal fact and chose to release millions of illegal aliens, including violent criminals, into the country with a notice to appear before an immigration judge,” the agency said. “ICE is now following the law and placing these illegal aliens in expedited removal, as they always should have been.”

The agency said “credible” asylum cases would continue to go forward.

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