Federal agents follow man into Southern California grocery store [View all]

A video showing federal agents walking through an Inland Empire grocery store Monday morning prompted a call for answers by community advocates.

The video shared by the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ICIJ) showed agents exiting an “employees only” area at the Stater Bros. location on West Hold Boulevard in Ontario.

The incident prompted ICIJ Executive Director Javier Hernandez to ask why the agents were allowed into the store and expressed concerns over the Ontario Police Department’s role in the operation.

Stater Bros. issued a statement Monday afternoon regarding the incident.

“Unannounced, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents informed the Store Manager at our Ontario Stater Bros. Market that they were conducting surveillance on an individual at a nearby donut shop located within the same shopping plaza. According to the agents, the individual entered our store, prompting them to follow him inside,” the statement reads.