Portland Restaurant’s Website Features Anti-ICE Message

A pizza restaurant in Portland, Oregon, is greeting its online visitors with a strikingly vulgar and anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) message.

When people visit Tastebud, a local pizza spot, they are met with several crude pop-up messages that express various political and social views. For instance, one message states, “Food is politics, no one is an illegal alien on stolen land, F— ICE, abolish ICE, release the Trump/Epstein file.” There’s even a prompt to join their newsletter.

The pop-up continues with statements like, “Black lives matter, trans women are women, trans men are men, love your LGBTQ+ neighbors, liberate Palestine, the Holocaust was real, health care is a human right, masks save lives, get vaccinated, wash your hands, germ theory is science, cook chicken to 165 degrees, stay hydrated.”

Tastebud, known for its wood-fired pizzas and salads, was founded in 1999 by Mark Doxtader. Their website emphasizes a sense of community, built by friends, family, and local farmers.

Tensions surrounding ICE have notably escalated. Recently, ICE faced scrutiny after the shooting of Renee Nicole Good, who was killed by agents while allegedly trying to escape in her car. Protests have surged since the death of Alex Preti, which further fueled the ongoing backlash against federal agents.

On January 30th, the restaurant expressed solidarity with those protesting against ICE, stating, “We thank, support, and honor all businesses and individuals who are able to join today’s call for a general strike. We will remain open today to feed and gather our staff and community. We will also donate a portion of our sales to organizations fighting on the ground to support those directly affected by DHS/ICE/CBP and their illegal and terrorist actions.”

The restaurant also took a stand by acknowledging the recent losses, commenting that “Renee Nicole Good and Alex Preti were murdered in front of our eyes.” Ominously, reports show that assaults on ICE workers have spiked significantly, with vehicle attacks against police and threats against officers increasing as well.

As of now, Tastebud and ICE have yet to respond to inquiries regarding the matter.