ICE raids Asian food store in Henrietta

Rochester’s Asian-American community has been left scrambling for answers after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers raided the Asia Food Market in Henrietta Wednesday morning.

Shoppers first spotted U.S. Customs and Border Patrol vehicles just after 9:30 a.m., with federal agents quickly swarming the premises. A mix of marked and unmarked cars were spotted in the parking lot. Bystanders attempted to make calls as ICE detained those inside the store, located at 1885 Brighton Henrietta Town Line Road.

For Sebastian Nimeh, a bystander, spotting vehicles associated with immigration enforcement prompted his attempt to enter the premises before being stopped by a CBP officer.

Nimeh claims he saw multiple individuals being detained before the raid was concluded, and contacted the Rochester Rapid Response Network community defense hotline to notify them of immigration enforcement activity. It is unclear how many individuals were detained or where they were taken.

The Asia Food Market, left without employees or internet service, promptly closed after the raid before resuming operations that afternoon. Fearing retaliation, employees declined to speak to the Beacon.

“I try to be optimistic about these type of things, but I really felt so hopeless and defeated,” Nimeh says. “(ICE) just came into my community, into my backyard, and went to a beloved establishment.”

After the raid, families and bystanders scattered throughout the parking lot as unmarked vehicles transported unknown individuals, moving quickly to avoid being identified. An ICE spokesperson confirmed multiple arrests were made at locations in Rochester and Buffalo. Employees at Asia Food Market locations in Syracuse and Ithaca reported no ICE activity at their stores.

“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,” the spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement. “Due to the ongoing nature of this criminal investigation, we cannot provide additional information at this time.”

Left without answers, Nimeh and other bystanders questioned how a long-time establishment could have been targeted by ICE.

“I just couldn’t help but think about those older Asian people that I saw who weren’t getting arrested,” added Nimeh. “This might be their children, their cousin, their nephew. And their life had just been turned upside down in a matter of 20 minutes.”

Narm Nathan is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and a member of the Oasis Project’s inaugural cohort. David Wazana is a member of the Oasis Project’s second cohort.

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