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ICE Agents Eat at Minnesota Restaurant, Then Arrest Three Workers Hours Later

The episode unfolded during Minnesota’s contested federal immigration surge known as Operation Metro Surge.

Overview

  • Four ICE officers dined at El Tapatio in Willmar around 3 p.m. before returning that evening to arrest three members of the restaurant’s staff.
  • Witnesses said agents followed the workers after closing and detained them around 8:30 p.m. less than a mile away near a middle school and a Lutheran church.
  • A small crowd confronted the officers during the arrests, blowing whistles and shouting, including the line, “Would your mama be proud of you right now?”
  • The identities and immigration status of those detained were not disclosed, and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment.
  • The incident adds to tensions during large-scale enforcement operations in Minnesota and follows recent protests after the fatal shooting of Renee Good, with other eateries reporting closures or staff staying away.