US Immigration Officers Detain Restaurant Workers After Lunch, Leaving Employees in a State of Fear.
In a shocking display of intimidation, four US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained three Mexican restaurant workers just hours after eating lunch at El Tapatio in Willmar, Minnesota. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, has left the community shaken and raises serious concerns about the impact of ICE's tactics on small businesses.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as "surreal" and said that staff were frightened when the officers came to dine earlier in the day. One bystander even asked a group of ICE officers if their mothers would be proud of them, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
This is not an isolated incident. Similar arrests have been reported across Minnesota, with workers from different restaurants being detained and deported without warning. The latest victim was a worker from Pancho's Taqueria and Mexican Cafe in Circle Pines, who was taken away by ICE officers just 12 hours after working at his restaurant. According to the GoFundMe page set up by the owner, Stacey Chase, the worker has a legitimate permit to work legally, but he was still subjected to deportation.
Such tactics are having a chilling effect on restaurants across the state. Even without arrests, the threat of ICE's actions is causing staffing shortages and forced closures. El Rodeo, a Mexican restaurant in Maple Grove, Minnesota, recently closed its doors due to employee fears about returning to work. A Facebook post from the restaurant expressed gratitude for their customers' support during this difficult time.
The use of tactics like these by ICE officers is not only unjust but also creates an atmosphere of fear and mistrust among the immigrant community. As one observer noted, "Would your mama be proud of you right now?" This incident highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability from ICE's actions and their impact on local communities.
The state of Minnesota has been grappling with the consequences of ICE's presence for some time. While politicians continue to debate the issue, one thing is clear: the lives and livelihoods of thousands of undocumented immigrants are hanging in the balance.
In a shocking display of intimidation, four US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained three Mexican restaurant workers just hours after eating lunch at El Tapatio in Willmar, Minnesota. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, has left the community shaken and raises serious concerns about the impact of ICE's tactics on small businesses.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as "surreal" and said that staff were frightened when the officers came to dine earlier in the day. One bystander even asked a group of ICE officers if their mothers would be proud of them, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
This is not an isolated incident. Similar arrests have been reported across Minnesota, with workers from different restaurants being detained and deported without warning. The latest victim was a worker from Pancho's Taqueria and Mexican Cafe in Circle Pines, who was taken away by ICE officers just 12 hours after working at his restaurant. According to the GoFundMe page set up by the owner, Stacey Chase, the worker has a legitimate permit to work legally, but he was still subjected to deportation.
Such tactics are having a chilling effect on restaurants across the state. Even without arrests, the threat of ICE's actions is causing staffing shortages and forced closures. El Rodeo, a Mexican restaurant in Maple Grove, Minnesota, recently closed its doors due to employee fears about returning to work. A Facebook post from the restaurant expressed gratitude for their customers' support during this difficult time.
The use of tactics like these by ICE officers is not only unjust but also creates an atmosphere of fear and mistrust among the immigrant community. As one observer noted, "Would your mama be proud of you right now?" This incident highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability from ICE's actions and their impact on local communities.
The state of Minnesota has been grappling with the consequences of ICE's presence for some time. While politicians continue to debate the issue, one thing is clear: the lives and livelihoods of thousands of undocumented immigrants are hanging in the balance.
. I mean, come on, ICE officers showing up at a restaurant after lunch just to detain employees? It's like something out of a bad movie 
. And what's really scary is that these workers are already scared, but now they're facing actual deportation without warning? That's not cool, fam 
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. When people are living in fear, it's hard for them to even show up to work or start their own business. It's like a vicious cycle of fear and mistrust, and ICE is just making it worse 
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. These workers are already taking risks by being here without papers; can't we find a better way to support them? It's time for ICE to rethink their tactics and start prioritizing transparency and accountability 
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. We need to take a stand against these kind of tactics and start fighting for our rights as a community 
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seriously though, what's going on here is super scary for the community, especially the immigrant ones. we need more transparency and accountability from the authorities, you feel? 
. It's like they're creating an atmosphere of "survival of the fittest" instead of trying to build a community.
this is just crazy what are these officers even thinking theyre putting people in fear and it aint right...anyway restaurants rnt supposed 2 b a place where ppl r scared 2 be themselves like whats next theyll be stopping ppl at the grocery store or something 
ICE needs 2 rethink their tactics bc this isnt how u treat ppl 
these people are already working hard to make ends meet, and now they're being threatened by ICE? it's so messed up! 
i can totally see how it would be scaring off other workers and making staffing shortages a problem. like, why wouldn't you want to work in an environment where one wrong move could get you deported?! 
ICE officers having lunch at a restaurant before detaining employees? That's a whole lotta gas 
! 
Can't wait for the after-lunch interrogation session 
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i mean, wouldn't your mom be proud of you if you treated people with respect and kindness instead of intimidation? 
the whole situation is super messed up... anyone else watching this and getting all shook up 
It's so unfair to the workers who were already feeling stressed and overworked. And to think that these guys could have been enjoying their meal without the added anxiety of being targeted by ICE 
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it's so unfair 
what's going on with these guys? 
can't let this happen to our community 
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. We need to stand up for each other and demand more from our leaders 
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ICE agents detaining restaurant workers after lunch? it's like something out of a movie 
these workers are already scared enough working in the service industry, now they're getting threatened with deportation by ICE agents over lunch. it's like they're playing some kind of twisted game where "lunch" is the trigger word 
. The fact that this happened four times already in the same state is just crazy 
. Small businesses are already struggling with staff shortages and now this? 
They need our support more than ever 
. I don’t know what's more disturbing, the fact that these workers were detained or the owner of one of the restaurants has to set up a GoFundMe page because their employee was legitimized and still got deported 
. We need to create a safe space for everyone, not create fear around someone's immigration status 
let's hope more people start speaking out against this kind of behavior.