U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted a raid this week at Union Grill, a longtime restaurant on Craig Street in Oakland.
The restaurant, located just off Carnegie Mellon University’s campus and a few blocks from the University of Pittsburgh, was the focus of ICE enforcement activity. Officials have not released details about the operation or whether any arrests were made.
Union Grill temporarily closed following the incident but reopened the same day. Representatives for the restaurant have not issued a public statement.
This is not the first time Union Grill has been targeted in an ICE operation. In January 2018, federal agents detained Vicente Sandoval, a 47-year-old undocumented immigrant from Mexico who had lived in Pittsburgh for more than a decade. Sandoval, a chef and prominent figure in the city’s Latin dance community, was taken into custody during what ICE described at the time as a “targeted enforcement operation.”
The latest raid has renewed concern among international students at both CMU and Pitt, who say the proximity to campus has heightened anxieties about their own immigration status and safety.
ICE has not responded to requests for comment, which is typical for the agency during ongoing investigations.
Union Grill has long been a fixture of the Craig Street business corridor, serving students, university staff and neighborhood residents in Oakland’s busy educational district.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.