At Buona Forchetta, a beloved Italian restaurant in San Diego’s trendy South Park neighborhood, diners were sipping wine, twirling forkfuls of fettuccine, and enjoying the atmosphere.
Then ICE showed up.
JUST IN: San Diego residents fume, with one appearing to throw trash at ICE, as they conduct a worksite enforcement operation in South Park.
The incident happened at the best Italian restaurant in America, Buona Forchetta.
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement can confirm… pic.twitter.com/tRAaFita26
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 31, 2025
On May 31, federal immigration agents entered the building as part of a worksite enforcement operation.
Outside, a growing crowd of angry locals reportedly threw trash at agents as they left the scene.
The restaurant didn’t comment.
ICE confirmed the raid but said little more, citing an “ongoing investigation.”
ICE says it was enforcing federal law. Full stop.
California? Not so fast.
Since 2017, the state has proudly worn the “sanctuary state” label, with laws like SB 54 that limit how much local police can help federal agents track down undocumented immigrants.
Governor Gavin Newsom doubled down after the raid, insisting California “remains committed to protecting immigrant communities.”
Washington says “enforce the law.” Sacramento says “not here.”
Caught in the middle are restaurant owners, workers, and pizza lovers alike.
ICE’s worksite enforcement operations focus on employers who may be hiring undocumented workers.
These aren’t random raids — they usually follow investigations into possible illegal hiring practices. That means Buona Forchetta was likely on their radar for some time.
Agents might have been looking for employment records, conducting interviews, or detaining individuals suspected of being in the country illegally. No arrests have been officially confirmed at this time.
South Park is no stranger to activism, but the reaction here went beyond protest signs and slogans.
Witnesses say some residents began hurling trash; not exactly civil discourse.
To many locals though, the raid felt personal. Many feel immigration enforcement has become overly politicized and weaponized.
They see undocumented workers not as criminals, but as neighbors, coworkers, and friends.
Of course, on the other side, critics of sanctuary policies say this is exactly the problem — lawlessness disguised as compassion.
To one side, federal immigration law is clear, and no state — not even California — should get to pick and choose which laws to follow.
If states started ignoring federal tax laws or drug laws, there’d be chaos.
Sanctuary cities are in the crosshairs.
This incident at a little Italian restaurant — just a few miles from the beach — is just one more battle in an ongoing war.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
