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ICE Officers Dine at Minnesota Restaurant, Then Arrest Three Workers Hours Later

The episode reflects a sweeping federal enforcement surge in Minnesota that has drawn protests after recent ICE‑involved shootings.

Overview

  • Four ICE officers ate at El Tapatio in Willmar around 3 p.m., then returned near closing and detained three staff near a school and a church, witnesses said.
  • Local reporting said the detainees included the restaurant’s owners and a dishwasher, while authorities had not released their identities or any charges.
  • In Circle Pines, surveillance video shows ICE detaining a Pancho’s employee coworkers say has a work permit, with the worker moved to El Paso within roughly a day.
  • The Pancho’s owner said donations quickly reached about $25,000 to fund legal representation and support the worker’s family.
  • Both incidents occurred during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, with communities reporting closures, bystander confrontations, and mounting public scrutiny of ICE tactics.