A group of ICE agents reportedly visited a Mexican restaurant in a small town in Minnesota for lunch and returned hours later to detain the staff.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that the agents dined at El Tapatio restaurant in Willmar at approximately 3pm local time last Wednesday (January 14).
By 8:30pm, the agents apprehended the employees near a local church and Willmar Middle School after the restaurant had closed for the night.
Witnesses are said to have blown whistles at the agents, and one observer questioned them with, “would your mama be proud of you right now?”, as per the Star Tribune.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a statement indicated they had ‘conducted surveillance of a target,’ labeling them an ‘illegal alien from Mexico’.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated: “On January 14, ICE officers conducted surveillance of a target, Jose Rosario Gomez Gallardo, an illegal alien from Mexico.
“Officers observed that the target’s vehicle was outside of a local business and positively identified him as the target while inside the business. Following the positive identification, officers then conducted a vehicle stop later in the day and apprehended the target and two additional illegal aliens who were in the car, including one who had a final order of removal from an immigration judge.
“We encourage all illegal aliens to use the CBP Home app to get a free flight home and $1,000 stipend. By using the CBP Home app, illegal aliens have the opportunity to come back to the U.S. the right legal way and live the American dream.”
Willmar is among the most diverse cities in Minnesota, and El Tapatio, along with other local businesses, opted to close their doors following the recent arrest.
Local resident Brentt Fees expressed to WCCO his support for the Mexican restaurant after it reportedly lost 75 percent of its business due to Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
“Just wanted to make sure everything was okay, and apparently it’s not because they’re closed now,” he remarked.
Tensions have escalated in Minnesota following the shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this month.
In close proximity to where the mother-of-three was shot, protests arose, during which a woman was reportedly taken away by ICE agents.
On New Year’s Eve, Keith Porter was shot by an off-duty ICE agent in Minneapolis, and a week after Renee Good’s shooting, a Venezuelan man was shot by an ICE agent in North Minneapolis, though his identity remains undisclosed.