Eyewitnesses were fearful when the agents entered the family-owned Mexican restaurant.
It’s being reported that ICE agents dined at a Mexican restaurant in Minnesota before detaining its employees.
Both the Minnesota Star Tribune and WCCO have reported that four ICE officers had lunch at a family-owned Mexican restaurant called El Tapatio in Willmar, Minnesota on 14 January.
Hours later after staff closed the eatery, the agents allegedly followed and detained its employees.
Eyewitness reports suggested that people eating at the restaurant became fearful when the agents entered the restaurant, sitting in a booth together.
The Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, stated they were targeting ‘an illegal alien from Mexico’.
Speaking to WCCO, she stated: “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 of the target, 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.”
The 20-year-old child of the restaurant’s owners, who are reportedly detained, confirmed that the business will reopen under his leadership.
Meanwhile, Willmar resident Abdullahi Mohamed told the outlet that ICE have left the small community of only 21,000 people on edge.
“You have families that are scared for their life. People refusing to come out of their house.
“I’ve seen with my two eyes ICE detaining people,” he added.
Another resident, Brentt Fees, revealed that his employer has lost 75 percent of its business since ICE began their crackdown in Minnesota’s Twin Cities.
He continued: “They detained someone just across the street where I was working.
“I just wanted to make sure everything is okay. And apparently it’s not because they’re closed now.”
This follows the death of Renee Good, who was shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis, only 95 miles away from El Tapatio.
A week later a Venezuelan man, whose identity remains unknown, was also shot by an ICE agent in North Minneapolis while they were conducting a traffic stop.
The City of Minneapolis commented: “The City of Minneapolis again demands that ICE leave the city and state immediately. We stand by our immigrant and refugee communities — know that you have our full support.”
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