A group of software engineers in Minneapolis found themselves embroiled in a chaotic situation when they were wrongly identified as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while having lunch. The incident took place at Clancy’s Deli, where, dressed in casual attire, they received an alert from a politically active anti-ICE chat. One of the engineers, identified as Lee, mentioned that the sudden influx of accusations came as a shock, especially since his friend, who frequently dined there, was affected.
Following the alert, a crowd of anti-ICE protesters amassed outside the deli and peered through the windows, as captured in a video taken by one of the engineers. As they left the restaurant, they were met with a barrage of insults, including phrases like “You’re a bootlicker!” and “Get out of our neighborhood!” According to Lee, the language escalated, with shouts such as “I wish you were dead” and accusations of being pedophiles directed at them.
In an attempt to clarify the misunderstanding, one engineer explained they were simply looking for a meal, insisting, “We develop custom apps for many businesses in Minnesota and across the country.” However, their pleas fell on deaf ears. A back-and-forth ensued when one of the men questioned, “Do I look like an ICE agent?”—only to be met with similar skepticism from a woman in the crowd. A whistle blew, and others shouted, urging them to leave.
Despite expressing disapproval of ICE, the group found themselves in a bizarre situation where they just wanted to enjoy their lunch amidst chaos stirred by misinformation.
