A viral video shows ICE agents boxed in by furious protesters yelling “shame” after hitting two popular San Diego restaurants in a workplace immigration sweep.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), carried out a worksite enforcement action Friday evening at Buona Forchetta and Enoteca Buona Forchetta, two Italian eateries in the city’s South Park neighborhood. According to NBC 7 San Diego, the restaurant manager said at least two employees were detained during the operation.
The incident drew a brisk response from community members, who gathered outside the restaurants in protest. Some chanted at agents, while others attempted to block their vehicles from leaving the scene.
@jaydee9748 #southpark ♬ original sound – Jay Dee
As federal immigration agents exited the restaurants following the enforcement operation, tensions escalated between officers and demonstrators gathered outside.
One of the more than 250 protesters swas seen appearing to throw trash toward ICE agents. Several others shouted, “Shame, shame, shame,” as the agents retreated to their vehicles, while at least one individual was heard screaming profanities and referring to the agents as “Nazis.”
JUST IN: San Diego residents fume, with one appearing to throw trash at ICE, as they conduct a worksite enforcement operation in South Park.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 31, 2025
The incident happened at the best Italian restaurant in America, Buona Forchetta.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement can confirm… pic.twitter.com/tRAaFita26
In the wake of the operation, Buona Forchetta did not open for dinner service that evening, according to NBC 7 San Diego.
“Buona Forchetta has always been at its core, a family. We have built our spaces on trust, dignity, and care for one another. We stand together, now and always. We are still processing the deep pain and confusion caused by this situation,” a statement shared on the restaurant’s Instagram page reads.
The restaurant is part of the Buona Forchetta Family, which also operates Matteo For a Cause, a nonprofit restaurant located in the same neighborhood. The organization donates all profits to local charities focused on education and early childhood development.
Buona Forchetta, the San Diego restaurant subject of a military raid to pick up a couple of bus boys, donates 100% of it's profits to charity. Reminder: The tRump family is banned from operating a charity because they stole from a children's cancer charity. pic.twitter.com/dXUhXxVgly
— J. Carlos Fox, Esq🦊 (@JCarlosFox) May 31, 2025
“Like many San Diegans, I was deeply upset by Friday night’s immigration enforcement operation at Buona Forchetta and Enoteca Buona Forchetta in South Park. Federal actions like these are billed as a public safety measure, but it had the complete opposite effect,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, in a statement shared with Newsweek. “What we saw undermines trust and creates fear in our community. I raised these concerns and my strong objections directly with Homeland Security Investigations leadership this morning. I will continue to advocate for the respect, dignity, rights, and security of everyone in our city.”
Since President Donald Trump took office for a second term on January 20, ICE has made approximately 32,800 arrests, averaging more than 650 per day. Of those detained, about 27% had no criminal charges or convictions, according to internal reports reviewed by Reuters.
In April alone, ICE booked over 22,800 individuals into detention, including more than 18,000 arrested by ICE officers and an additional 4,600 by Customs and Border Protection. Nearly 43% of those detained had no prior criminal record, and many others had only minor infractions, such as traffic violations, according to data from Syracuse University’s TRAC project.
@jaydee9748 ♬ original sound – Jay Dee
As of mid-May, more than 185,000 individuals — including families — were being monitored through ICE’s Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program, with the highest number tracked by the agency’s San Francisco field office.
Foreign-born residents in San Francisco account for more than a third of the city’s population. As of 2023, approximately 34.1% of San Franciscans were born outside the U.S. Roughly 64% of foreign-born residents in San Francisco trace their origins to Asian countries, particularly China, the Philippines and India. Latin America represents the second-largest region of origin, accounting for about 18% of the immigrant population. Many of these residents hail from Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala.
According to DHS, ICE agents are encountering rising hostility during enforcement operations.
“The officers took appropriate action and followed their training to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve the situation in a manner that ensures the success of the operation and prioritizes the safety of the public and our officers. In large part due to protests like this, our ICE officers are facing a 413% increase in assaults while carrying out arrests,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek.
