ICE arrests 14 at Marshall Township Mexican restaurant

Community activist Jaime Martinez rushed to Tepache Mexican Kitchen & Bar’s Marshall Township location after learning 14 people had been arrested by immigration agents.

Martinez and eight other members of Casa San Jose, a nonprofit that works to support Pittsburgh’s Latino community, arrived at the restaurant Wednesday afternoon.

“I see people through the window and I see them shackled and I see them with their hands clasped as if in prayer. And they make eye contact with me, even though I’m a little far away. I see them and they see me, and they begin to wave at me, and their hands (behind their) back start to motion,” said Martinez, who is Casa San Jose’s community defense organizer. “Like ‘I hear you. I acknowledge that you’re here. Thank you for being here, we are hearing these prayers.’ ”

A spokesperson for ICE said Homeland Security Investigations Pittsburgh and Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia, along with federal law enforcement officers, conducted a search warrant at the restaurant on Sheraton Drive.

“During the operation, 14 illegal aliens were encountered and arrested for immigration violations and subsequently detained pending removal proceedings,” a statement from ICE said.

Officials say that detainment is pending removal proceedings.

Tepache first announced the raid on its social media, asking community members to support the restaurant by showing up and watching the arrests.

While people were being detained, Martinez said customers began showing up to eat at the restaurant.

“We flagged them down, and we said, just to let you know, there’s an ICE raid happening here. If you care about the people here, you should stand with us and witness this. And they did, because that’s what Pittsburgh is at its best,” he said.

On Thursday afternoon, Tepache taped signs on the entrance doors saying the restaurant would reopen for business at 5 p.m.

Employees from the other Tepache location were entering the Marshall Township location around noon. They declined to comment to a TribLive reporter but said they were there to “help out” for the night.

Casa San Jose members and others planned to join a national protest Thursday against the Trump administration immigration policy, by marching from the Three Rivers Heritage Park to the ICE office on Sidney Street in Pittsburgh.

“People don’t realize that these are human beings with lives, children and loved ones, and in that instant, their entire life was turned upside down,” Martinez said.