Compton restaurant owner served compassion amid immigration enforcement protests

La Ceiba Restaurante y Pupuseria in Compton served up more than pupusas on Saturday as owner Elizabeth Mendoza and her staff offered compassion and aid to protesters and sheriff deputies alike.

Mendoza said although chaos ensued outside her restaurant, she knew she had to stay open.

On June 7, protests began in Paramount after it appeared that federal law enforcement officers were conducting another operation there. The Department of Homeland Security said there was not "an ICE 'raid' at a Home Depot in LA today," but rather DHS was staging at an office in Paramount. Demonstrations spread to the nearby city of Compton.

Mendoza said on Saturday that friends and family were calling to tell her to close her restaurant and leave but she said something told her to stay. "No, I can't. I need to help when the people need me," Mendoza said.

She said she feared for her life as protesters and law enforcement clashed outside on Alondra Boulevard, just feet away from her business. "I feel like, at war."

As an immigrant from El Salvador, Mendoza says she sympathizes with the protesters, and that federal immigration enforcement is affecting many of her long-time customers.

"My kids, my husband, we're okay. But I know a lot of people came, they don't have papers, they don't have anything, but they want to work," Mendoza said.

When protesters needed water, napkins and food, she said she handed it to them. As the situation escalated, she realized her business was the only one open.

Later in the day, around 5:30 p.m., a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy came into the restaurant, crouched over after being sprayed in the face with a chemical irritant. Other deputies followed, and restaurant staff escorted some into the walk-in freezer to cool them off, while others were fanned with paper plates.

A video posted to Mendoza's TikTok account shows the deputies, sitting at the restaurant booths, getting fanned as they take a minute to recover from their duties outside. Mendoza said they even put milk and ice on the face of one of the deputies who was suffering from chemical exposure.

When asked why they did it, Mendoza said it was not about taking sides as both the deputies and protesters are her beloved customers, part of her community.