Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ate at a Mexican restaurant in Minnesota on Wednesday, then later detained three employees after the business closed for the night.
The arrests took place in Willmar, about two hours from Minneapolis, where ICE and Border Patrol activity has recently increased.
An eyewitness who asked not to be identified out of concern for retaliation told the Minnesota Star Tribune that four ICE agents sat in a booth and ate at El Tapatio shortly before 3 p.m. The witness said restaurant staff appeared frightened and shared photos and video from the scene, including footage of the later arrests.
According to the account, the detentions happened around 8:30 p.m. near a Lutheran church and Willmar Middle School. Agents allegedly followed the workers after they finished closing and then took them into custody. Several bystanders gathered, blew whistles, and shouted at the agents. “Would your mama be proud of you right now?” one bystander asked.
The Star Tribune reported that the workers’ immigration status was unclear. It also said the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions seeking details about the arrests.
The incident follows a similar case in December in Brooklyn Park, where ICE agents reportedly posed as customers at a coffee shop and told employees a car had been hit in the parking lot. When workers went outside, one of them was arrested and quickly taken away.
ICE has faced heightened scrutiny over its operations in recent days. Last week, agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good as she tried to drive away from officers. Polling has shown many Americans do not believe the shooting was justified. One CNN poll found that 51% of Americans think ICE is making cities less safe, while 31% believe it is making them safer. A Quinnipiac survey reported that 57% of voters disapprove of the way ICE is operating.
White House Border Czar Tom Homan said Thursday that ICE needs “to be better at messaging.”
