Flashbangs in the Neighborhood – How an ICE Raid in San Diego Reawakened Fear

On the evening of May 30, 2025, the city of San Diego, California, witnessed a law enforcement operation that left many residents and guests in utter shock: Around 6 p.m., units from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stormed the popular Italian restaurant “Buona Forchetta” in the South Park neighborhood – clad in full tactical gear, with weapons drawn, and using flashbang grenades. Agents entered not only the main restaurant but also the adjacent “Enoteca Buona Forchetta” as guests were dining and families with children had just taken their seats. Witnesses reported that about 20 to 25 heavily armed ICE agents detained all employees without warning, demanded identification documents, and sealed off the area. For the first ten minutes, a guest told The Independent, nobody knew what was happening. The Independent, habe niemand gewusst, was überhaupt vor sich gehe.

At least three staff members – according to restaurant management, students with not yet fully resolved immigration status – were taken into custody after failing to produce valid documents. The neighborhood’s reaction was swift and fierce. Eyewitnesses recorded scenes of guests and locals confronting the agents, calling them “fascists” and blocking an unmarked ICE vehicle attempting to leave the area. The situation calmed only after local police arrived – though the department stated it did not actively participate in the raid.

The restaurant remained closed for the rest of the evening. In its first public statement, management described the incident as “traumatic” and emphasized that the well-being of staff and their families was the top priority. Legal support has been arranged, and psychological assistance was offered to the team. ICE has so far commented only vaguely on the operation. It was confirmed that the raid was part of the new strategy “Operation Safeguard” – a large-scale initiative by the current U.S. administration targeting allegedly undocumented workers in the service sector – but it remains unclear why this particular restaurant was subjected to such an aggressive enforcement action.

Meanwhile, public unease is growing in San Diego. Concern is rising over the increasing militarization of immigration enforcement, along with criticism of the disproportionate use of force. “This wasn’t just an operation – it was a moment of collective shock for an entire neighborhood,” said one resident who recorded the scene on her phone. “What message does this send – that no one is safe anymore, not even at dinner?” Civil society groups are now calling for a thorough investigation. Human rights organizations describe the tactics as intimidation, impacting not only undocumented migrants but also undermining trust in the rule of law across entire communities. Even voices from the city council have spoken up – some are demanding a review of whether the methods used violated local ordinances or constitutional standards.

What remains is a restaurant that has reopened its doors – but remains deeply shaken on the inside. And a city that must now ask itself what’s left of its identity as an “open and welcoming metropolis” when government agents hurl flashbangs at dinner plates.