UPDATE: An ICE spokesperson released the following statement to KDKA Radio:
On Aug. 7, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations Pittsburgh Offices along with agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, executed federal court-authorized search warrants pursuant to information received that Emiliano’s Mexican Restaurant and Bar locations in Cranberry and in Gibsonia Pennsylvania, were employing illegal aliens.
During the execution of the search warrants, 16 individuals were encountered and found to be illegally present in the United States. These 16 individuals were taken into ICE custody and placed into immigration proceedings.
As this is an ongoing investigation, no further details are available at this time.
Original story:
immigration enforcement officials conducted a sweep at two Emiliano's restaurant locations in the area.
The enforcement happened at the locations in Gibsonia and Cranberry.
The restaurant also took to Facebook to post a reel of the aftermath, saying agents stormed the locations.
This is what Emiliano’s wrote on Facebook, in full:
What you saw on the news doesn’t tell the full story.
On (Thursday), federal agents stormed our restaurants in a show of force that went far beyond anything reasonable or humane. They didn’t just detain people — they raided the heart of our business, tore through our spaces, and left behind a trail of fear, confusion, and destruction.
Our kitchens were flipped. Our walk-ins emptied. Food trashed. Doors broken. Lives shattered.
But what they can’t destroy is who we are.
At Emiliano’s, we’ve always been more than a restaurant. We’re a family — and like many restaurants in this country, we are built on the backs of immigrants. We will not apologize for that.
We are standing by our team. We are working with legal experts and community partners to support the people impacted. And we will not stay silent while fear and intimidation tear through our community.
We will reopen. We will rebuild. And we will keep feeding this city with love, dignity, and purpose.
If you want to help, we’ll be sharing ways to support affected families and contribute to our recovery.
Thank you for standing with us. — The Emiliano’s Family