The San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium (SDIRC) strongly condemns the violent and disproportionate use of force by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a workplace raid on the Buona Forchetta restaurant in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego on Friday, May 30, 2025.
In response to a spontaneous protest by community members, many of whom were local residents, federal agents escalated the situation by deploying military-grade Noise Flash Diversionary Devices (NFDDs), also known as flashbangs or stun grenades. These dangerous weapons were used on unarmed protesters, including families with children and pregnant women who were nearby when ICE agents deployed them. One flashbang exploded near a pregnant woman who required medical attention, and another device reportedly knocked down two small children.
The agents’ aggressive presence, heavily armed and stationed in front of an elementary school with children still present, created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in a residential neighborhood. The scale of militarization and the violent tactics deployed are in direct violation of our fundamental constitutional right to peacefully assemble and express dissent.
These actions not only defy the values of our democracy but also violate international standards that require law enforcement actions to be necessary and proportionate, yet the agents’ use of force in this context was neither. It was an assault on the dignity and safety of our communities, of immigrants, and protesters, intended to silence the voices of our community.
This ICE operation is part of a larger, deeply troubling pattern of militarization across our border communities with the mission to tear families apart. This erodes trust, endangers lives, and treats communities like war zones instead of places where people live, work, and raise families. We reject this approach entirely. Our communities deserve safety, respect, and dignity.
We call on local, state, and federal officials to hold DHS responsible for ICE’s excessive use of force against our community members and denounce further expansion of deportation efforts and militarization in the border region.
