ICE raids South Park’s Buona Forchetta, draws angry crowd outside popular restaurant

A sign hastily affixed to the reception stand outside Buona Forchetta reads we re closed following the raid Photo by Adrian Childress Times of San Diego Immigration officers swarmed a restaurant late Friday afternoon in South Park escorting two employees out in a raid that left the staff the manager explained deeply shaken Usually Buona Forchetta has customers waiting out front lined up to enter the popular Beech Street restaurant Instead after an hour-and- minute operation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement the jittery crowd wasn t waiting for Italian food On the street on the sidewalks large and small groups talked about what had just happened It was a crowd of curious mad disappointed people joined by television crews with cameras Both the main restaurant and their smaller place next door were raided and onlookers noted when the contingent of officers attempted to remove two employees they encountered a hostile response How hostile ICE officers tossed two flash bangs to back the crowd off Black remnants of the bangs remained visible on the pavement outside the restaurant ICE approved to KGTV News that there had been an enforcement operation at the restaurant as part of an ongoing scrutiny The restaurant s manager Renato Ametrano described what happened saying the ICE officers displayed up with no explanation He declared there were about - officers who surrounded the building and then came inside pushing him against the wall and handcuffing him They frightened the workers various of them students Ametrano reported describing ICE personnel as very aggressive while handcuffing other members of the staff The remnants of a flash bang on the street outside Buona Forchetta Photo by JW August He reported the officers were looking at a computer and at employees Apparently they did not see whatever or whomever they were seeking Instead they took two employees commented Ametrano because they didn t have a physical ID For the young people who work at Buona Forchetta it was a very bad experience he announced adding that five or six people they don t want to work because they are still shaking A crowd remained outside Buona Forchetta after the ICE raid Photo by JW August The trauma led Ametrano to shut the restaurant down for the night The street would remain filled with locals and disappointed diners Ametrano declared only ICE officers were involved not San Diego police Closing a busy and popular restaurant on a Friday night will lead to considerable monetary losses but Ametrano promised I will open the subsequent day Cards outlining constitutional rights on display inside Buona Forchetta Photo by JW August