ICE Agents Patrol The Produce Aisle: Search Of SoCal Grocery Store Sparks Outrage

ONTARIO, CA — An Inland Empire community is outraged this week after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers stalked the aisles of a grocery store searching for a man they suspected to be an undocumented immigrant.

The incident at an Ontario Stater Bros. grocery store Monday reportedly led to three people being detained, including a U.S. citizen. Between 9:45 and 10:15 a.m. Monday, agents with ICE arrived at the Stater Bros. supermarket near 646 West Holt Boulevard in the Ontario Village Shopping Center, confirmed the Ontario Police Department. Video from the scene shows masked men in body armor patrolling the produce aisle and searching the backrooms.

ICE agents were met with resistance from bystanders and shoppers, according to video and multiple reports. Two days later, community leaders were still demanding accountability from their state representatives and local police.

The ICE agents informed the grocery store management that they were surveilling an individual at a nearby donut shop and trailed the man to the store. Ontario Police were called to the scene, as were union representatives for the Stater Bros. workers, the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, and a representative from the state's office.

While at least one U.S. citizen was detained and released, the Department of Homeland Security says that no arrests were made.

Department of Homeland Security officials said that no arrests were made inside the store. However, bystander footage shows the arrest of a U.S. citizen taking place in the neighborhood near the shopping center. Immigrant advocacy groups reported three arrests stemming from the operation, but federal officials have not confirmed that information.

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin released a statement saying that "ICE was attempting to arrest Carlos Gutierrez Caroenas, an undocumented person charged with domestic violence and driving on a suspended license. The management of the market halted the ICE search, and the criminal went free."

Questions arose on the role the Ontario Police Department served in the arrest.

Officers were called to the scene to verify that the ICE agents were working on behalf of the U.S. government, according to the Ontario Police Department.

"Upon arrival, our officers confirmed that the individuals involved were federal agents acting in an official capacity as they attempted to apprehend a wanted individual," the department confirmed. "This represented the entirety of our department's role in the situation."

Stater Bros. corporate offices also released a statement to KTLA, which says the unannounced ICE agents had followed an individual from a nearby donut shop in the same shopping plaza. "According to the agents, the individual entered our store, prompting them to follow him inside."

Mark Ramos, President of UFCW 1428, which represents the warehouse workers, said he talked with a worker who described federal agents as they ... "stormed into the store, attempted to take the door of the bathroom, and thought there was someone in the attic of the store," he told NBC4.

The man who was briefly detained on a nearby street identified himself to ABC7 as Angel Pina. He said he tried telling agents he was an American, but they ignored him.

"I told them where I was born. I had an ID. I had a social, I had a birth certificate," he told reporters. "None of the ICE agents that were on scene, they didn't' care about none of that."

Another witness told Fox11 News they fear even going to the grocery store at all now.

"We're living in terror, even though we are citizens," the woman said. "We're living in terror and are afraid to go out."

Congresswoman Norma Torres, of the 35th District, arrived at the scene to get answers, she said in a statement to Patch.

"My team was on site to support individuals impacted by ICE at the Stater Bros store in Ontario. When we sought answers from Stater Bros, we were dismissed and told to contact their corporate office. We have also received reports that ICE accessed employee-only areas of the store, which should never be allowed without a warrant,” Torres wrote. "Let me be clear: ICE cannot continue operating in our communities without transparency and due process. I will get to the bottom of what happened, and I won’t stop until the public has answers and accountability. Since January, ten people have died in ICE custody, a sobering reminder of the agency’s lack of oversight and accountability, and why we continue to fight."

Earlier this month, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to halt indiscriminate immigration stops and arrests in seven California counties, including Los Angeles. The Trump administration is appealing the ruling.

Immigrant advocacy groups filed the lawsuit accusing President Donald Trump’s administration of systematically targeting brown-skinned people in Southern California during its ongoing immigration crackdown. The plaintiffs include three detained immigrants and two U.S. citizens, one of whom was held despite showing agents his identification.

In response to the suit, U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles Bill Essayli issued a statement insisting that enforcement agencies have adhered to the law.

"We strongly disagree with the allegations in the lawsuit and maintain that our agents have never detained individuals without proper legal justification," Essayli said. "Our federal agents will continue to enforce the law and abide by the U.S. Constitution."

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a defiant response on its social media pages, writing, "A district judge is undermining the will of the American people. America's brave men and women are removing murderers, MS- 13 gang members, pedophiles, rapists -- truly the worst of the worst from Golden State communities. LAW AND ORDER WILL PREVAIL!"

Earlier this month, the Ontario City Council heard the community speak about recent ICE activity.

"As a result, the Mayor and City Council directed staff to develop an informative public outreach campaign to provide a space where the community can find accurate information on immigration resources and City policies." That complete list of all Immigration Resources available to residents is at this link from their website: www.ontarioca.gov.

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