Reports indicate that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained three employees at a family-owned Mexican eatery in Willmar, Minnesota, shortly after their lunch there.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, around 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, four ICE agents were seen dining in a booth at El Tapatio, which is situated about 85 miles west of Minneapolis.
Witnesses took photos of the officers and recorded the subsequent arrests, noting that the restaurant staff appeared “frightened.”
Later that evening, around 8:30 p.m., bystanders reported seeing the officers apprehending three workers outside a nearby Lutheran church and Willmar Middle School after the restaurant had closed.
As the arrests took place, people nearby blew whistles and shouted, with one person commenting, “Would your mama be proud of you right now?”
The identities of both the officers and the individuals detained have not been made public.
In Minnesota, thousands of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel have been sent as part of “Operation Metro Surge,” an initiative from the Trump administration aimed at addressing illegal immigration that has continued throughout former President Biden’s administration. In the state, instances of fraud within immigrant-operated businesses, including childcare centers misusing federal funds, have been under scrutiny.
Additionally, statewide protests have emerged following the shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer, who reportedly shot at her as she tried to drive away, blocking her path.
