Protesters Mistake TSA Officers for ICE Agents in Tense LA Restaurant Confrontation

LYNWOOD, Calif. — A Wednesday evening dinner for three federal air marshals at a Korean barbecue restaurant turned into a chaotic scene after they were mistakenly targeted by activists who believed they were agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The officers, who work for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and are tasked with protecting commercial flights, were dining at Ten-Raku in the Plaza Mexico shopping center when a crowd gathered outside. According to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, the employees were "surrounded and subjected to aggressive harassment."

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was called to de-escalate the situation. Deputies escorted the TSA personnel out safely; no arrests or injuries were reported. "Our response ensured public safety and a peaceful resolution," a sheriff’s department statement confirmed.

In the aftermath, TSA spokesperson Nick Dyer linked the confrontation to heated political rhetoric. "The mob believed these TSA officials were ICE agents. They were not, but the message is clear: inflaming hatred against federal personnel has real-world consequences," Dyer told Fox News Digital. He criticized politicians who, he argued, "tacitly endorse violence against DHS employees" through their language on immigration.

Video from the scene captured protesters shouting profanities and mockingly repeating "We're TSA." One woman involved later told local media the group thought the individuals were "potentially" ICE employees, but she attempted to block reporters from speaking with restaurant staff.

This is not an isolated case. Similar misidentifications have occurred elsewhere, including an incident in Minneapolis where software engineers were harassed at a deli after being falsely flagged as plainclothes ICE agents on an activist messaging channel. These episodes reflect a broader atmosphere of tension where immigration enforcement has become a flashpoint for public anger, sometimes directed at the wrong targets.

As one customer outside the Lynwood restaurant noted to local news, while immigration issues are emotionally charged, "there is a place and time for everything."

Voices from the Community

Marcus Chen, Policy Analyst in Washington, D.C.: "This is a symptom of a dangerously polarized environment. When public discourse vilifies entire agencies, it's inevitable that mistakes like this will happen. It endangers law enforcement personnel and undermines legitimate protest."

Elena Rodriguez, Immigrant Rights Organizer in Los Angeles: "The fear in our communities is real and stems from actual ICE practices. While this specific targeting was a mistake, it's born out of a genuine crisis. The focus should remain on holding the actual agency accountable for its actions."

David K. Miller, Retired Federal Agent (Commenting Sharply on Social Media): "This isn't activism—it's a mob. Harassing people at dinner? These protesters aren't heroes; they're reckless vigilantes who can't even tell TSA from ICE. This is what happens when political rhetoric replaces basic facts and decency."

Priya Sharma, Sociology Professor at UC Irvine: "The incident reveals how symbols of authority become conflated in the public eye. In highly charged movements, the distinction between different federal roles can blur, leading to misdirected actions that ultimately distract from the core issues at stake."