AMHERST, NY (WKBW) — An ICE raid took place at the popular Asia Food Market on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Amherst on Wednesday.
“It was a coordinated raid with their other location in Rochester, and they were looking for evidence of human trafficking,” explained Alejandro Gutierrez, immigration attorney.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, armed with a warrant, conducted the raid on Wednesday morning.
7 News obtained video clips from people who observed the raid, showing law enforcement vehicles and crime scene tape outside the market.
“I believe that it's probably profiling to see what they can catch," Gutierrez described. "It's basically a fishing expedition to see where they obtain their employees, to see if there's any wrongdoing in there.”
The immigration attorneys at Berger, Berger & Sobieski in Amherst, who represent the business, told me they weren't sure if anyone was arrested. But agents seized cell phones, business records, and computers. They say the raids are "pointless” targeting immigrant-owned businesses.
"It's not only harassment, it's frankly, just a bad waste of resources, and frankly, just nonsensical,” said attorney Lee Sobieski.
WATCH: Customers, immigration attorneys speak on ICE raid at Asia Food Market in Amherst
ICE issued the following statement:
"On July 30, 2025, ICE Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo, in coordination with partners including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FBI, conducted court-authorized law enforcement activity at multiple locations in western New York. Due to the ongoing nature of this criminal investigation, we cannot provide additional information at this time.”
The FBI, assisting in the raid, also issued the following statement:
“The FBI is supporting our partners at the Department of Homeland Security with immigration operations all over the country. Based upon this, asked for assistance, FBI special agents are participating in DHS led immigration enforcement efforts.” Initially the market closed on Wednesday following the raid, but Thursday the store was open for business.
Employees did not want to go on camera, but they let me inside. That’s where I met a North Tonawanda couple, who told me they shop at the market all the time and were in the parking lot on Wednesday when the raid occurred.
“I saw that ICE was at the front of the store talking to a bunch of the people who do work here and there was civilians who were standing by – watching this happen – recording it, talking back to ICE saying ‘why are you doing this’, ‘this is not okay,'" Manny Fegley said.
“I was shocked by it," Zach Orzelle said. "It's the first time we've seen something like that, and just hoping it doesn't escalate. It's a little scary – I guess in New York you wouldn't really assume that that would be happening.”
“It's really sad to see what's happening in this country," Fgley said. "I’m still really heartbroken over the fact that this all happened.”
Video clips for our story were courtesy of Vithaya Kanhalangsy and Manny Fegley.
