Camilla Jessen
Mexican restaurant closes after ICE detentions.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, four Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ate lunch at El Tapatio, a Mexican restaurant in Willmar, at around 3 p.m. last Wednesday.
Later that evening, at about 8:30 p.m., ICE agents returned to the area and detained restaurant employees after they had closed for the night. Arrests took place near a local church and Willmar Middle School.
Witnesses told the Star Tribune that bystanders blew whistles at the agents. One person was heard asking: “would your mama be proud of you right now?”
The restaurant involved has remained closed since the arrests.
ICE explanation
In a statement provided to UNILAD, the Department of Homeland Security said the agents had been conducting surveillance related to a specific individual.
“On January 14, ICE officers conducted surveillance of a target, Jose Rosario Gomez Gallardo an illegal alien from Mexico,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
“Officers observed that the target’s vehicle was outside of a local business and positively identified him as the target while inside the business,” she said.
Afterward, officers conducted a vehicle stop 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.”
Willmar is among Minnesota’s most diverse cities.
Following the arrests, El Tapatio and several other local businesses closed their doors.
Local resident Brentt Fees told WCCO he wanted to check on the restaurant after learning it had lost much of its business.
“Just wanted to make sure everything was okay, and apparently it’s not because they’re closed now,” he said.
Rising tensions statewide
Tension is high in Minnesota after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent earlier this month in Minneapolis.
Protests have continued across the Twin Cities, with further incidents involving ICE agents drawing national attention. Minnesota officials have urged protesters to remain peaceful as the situation evolves.
Sources: Minnesota Star Tribune, DHS, WCCO, UNILAD
