00:00Normally on a Friday evening, this restaurant behind me would be packed with customers,
00:05but today it was forced to shut down after chaos unfolded during an operation by federal authorities.
00:12Now, employees I spoke with told me that they detained several workers.
00:16Right now we're working to confirm the exact number.
00:18This was the chaotic scene of an operation by Homeland Security Investigations.
00:22As they swept through this restaurant at the corner of Beach and 30th Street,
00:26heavily armed agents can be seen in full tactical gear as cars block the streets off.
00:32In this video, you can hear loud booms and sirens as community members surrounded their cars.
00:39Pedro Rios with American Friends Service Committee was there and watched as people were taken away in handcuffs.
00:45The agents fired sound grenades, flashbang grenades at the crowd.
00:50Claire Cody works at Buena Forchetta.
00:52She had just clocked in for her shift at about 4.30 Friday afternoon when she says several men in
00:57trucks went inside saying they had a search warrant.
01:00Claire says agents put employees in handcuffs to check their ID.
01:03There was no stopping them.
01:05There was like 30, 30 ICE.
01:07There was 30 of them.
01:08I mean, we were just all in shock.
01:10They just came at a time where it was so unexpected.
01:13Before the restaurant opened up for dinner, staff put up this close sign.
01:16Claire says employees here are all like a big family and they're heartbroken.
01:20They took people, they took some of our employees.
01:26Immigrants, not hate.
01:28That's what makes America great.
01:30Meanwhile, outside the restaurant, the community pushed back.
01:33It was quite clear that there was just a complete rejection by the community of the federal agents of conducting
01:39this in their community and neighborhood.
01:42And I did reach out to the Department of Homeland Security to find out more information about this operation.
01:47And I'm still waiting to hear back.
01:49For now, Ms. Meralda Perez, CBS 8.
01:52Thank you.
