In Boston, the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) expressed a strong defense of his enforcement strategies amidst criticisms of heavy-handed actions during arrest operations targeting President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria voiced strong disapproval following an ICE raid at a popular Italian eatery, Buona Forchetta, just before the dinner peak, which sparked a chaotic scene with patrons shouting and smoke filling the air as agents equipped in heavy tactical gear faced an outraged crowd.
Todd Lyons, ICE’s acting director, became emotional at a Boston news conference when questioned about agents wearing masks, citing that some officers recieve death threats and online harassment. “I’m sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I’m not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line, their family on the line because people don’t like what immigration enforcement is,” Lyons asserted while announcing nearly 1,500 arrests in a month-long “surge operation.”
Lyons revisited the podium when a reporter posed questions on the mask issue. He asked, “Is that the issue here, that we’re just upset about the masks? Or is anyone upset about the fact that ICE officers’ families were labeled terrorists?” His comments seemed to address remarks by San Diego Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera, who had called ICE officers “terrorists” following the restaurant raid. Elo-Rivera took to social media, stating, “This isn’t safety. It’s state-sponsored terrorism.”
The Department of Homeland Security condemned Elo-Rivera’s comments, deeming them “sickening,” while Elo-Rivera stood by his statements. Other officials, like Mayor Gloria and U.S. Rep. Scott Peters of San Diego, expressed more restrained but still sharp criticism of ICE and the Trump administration. Gloria remarked, “Federal actions like these are billed as a public safety measure, but it had the complete opposite effect. What we saw undermines trust and creates fear in our community.”
ICE declared that the operation at Buona Forchetta led to the arrests of four individuals living in the U.S. illegally. Criminal search warrants addressing illegal hiring and false statements resulted in the agents employing flash-bang devices to control an unruly crowd. The agency claimed such gatherings endanger both law enforcement and onlookers.
The restaurant owners announced they were closing their Southern California locations for two days, expressing in a statement, “We wish we could find stronger words, but the truth is we are heartbroken. The traumatic incident involving a federal enforcement operation at our original and beloved South Park location has left a mark on all of us. A wound that is still raw, still echoing in our kitchens, our dining rooms, and our hearts.”
Lyons stated in a Fox & Friends interview that ICE was averaging about 1,600 arrests per day, a significant rise from earlier figures. Stephen Miller, a key architect of Trump’s immigration policy, has targeted 3,000 arrests daily, despite this posing a substantial challenge with existing funding as ICE is already operating above budgeted capacity.
Lyons pointed out that operations such as the Massachusetts surge would be unnecessary if “sanctuary cities would change their policy.” Sanctuary policies typically limit the cooperation of local law enforcement with federal immigration authorities. While a list of over 500 sanctuary jurisdictions was once published by Homeland Security, inaccuracies led to its removal.
Standing beside a poster board featuring mugshots of unnamed immigrants, Lyons labeled them “dangerous criminals” threatening the safety of families and communities.
In a separate raid at a South Carolina nightclub, widely known to attract drug dealers, authorities arrested 66 individuals residing in the U.S. illegally. Cardell Morant, special agent in charge, described the early morning raid as occurring during a “cartel after-party.” However, officials withheld details about charges faced by detainees in the Charleston County operation.