Justice protestors confront DHS agents in South Park neighborhood of San Diego, CA on May 30, 2025. Photo via Pedro Rios
After a shocking display of excessive force and militarized violence in San Diego, the Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) has filed a formal complaint with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL). The complaint details how masked unidentified agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) deployed Noise Flash Diversionary Devices (NFDDs), also known as flashbangs or stun grenades, on peaceful protestors and bystanders — including children and pregnant women — outside a neighborhood restaurant on May 30, 2025.
The incident unfolded in the South Park neighborhood during peak business hours, with dozens of agents in military-style gear storming two local restaurants. All workers were handcuffed and at least two people were arrested. Without provocation, agents escalated the situation by launching at least three military-grade flash-bang grenades into a peaceful crowd. A local middle school principal and former National Guard veteran described the agents as being “kitted out like they’re going to war.”
Click here to view video of ICE detonating flash grenade
on South Park community members
This is not an isolated incident. DHS’s reckless use of force and reliance on masked, unidentified agents is part of a broader and growing pattern of abuse and militarization targeting immigrants and border communities. The May 30 raid violated DHS’s own use-of-force policies, constitutional protections under the First Amendment, and international human rights standards under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
SBCC’s complaint calls on CRCL to immediately investigate and hold DHS accountable for these abuses. Communities along the border deserve safety, not violence. Dignity, not flash-bangs.
Click here for the full PDF of the SBCC's Incident Complaint
We call on DHS to end these abuses, uphold the right to protest, and protect the dignity and safety of all people—no matter where they live or where they’re from. Our communities are not war zones.