A small Mexican restaurant in Minnesota found itself at the center of an immigration issue after a visit from ICE agents.
Four agents had lunch at El Tapatio in Willmar, a town near Minneapolis. Later that evening, after the restaurant closed, the same agents returned and detained some of the employees near a church and a middle school.
According to news reports, some people who saw the arrests happening questioned the agents’ actions.
The Department of Homeland Security said the agents were watching Jose Rosario Gomez Gallardo, and they identified him at the restaurant. They later stopped his car and detained him, along with two other people, one of whom had an order to leave the country.
El Tapatio has since closed, and other businesses in the area have also struggled.
This incident happened after two shootings involving ICE agents in the Minneapolis area. One involved the death of Renee Good, and another involved the shooting of a man. These events have caused tension between residents and ICE agents.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has asked ICE to leave the city, and the city has taken legal action to try to stop ICE’s operations.
The city of Minneapolis said they support their immigrant and refugee communities and have asked ICE to leave the city and state immediately.
