A family-owned Mexican restaurant in central Minnesota became the center of a controversial immigration enforcement action last week after federal agents dined there and later detained several of its workers. The restaurant has remained closed since, and left a community on edge.
Lunch visit raises alarm among staff
On January 14, four agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) visited El Tapatio, a popular Mexican eatery in Willmar, Minnesota, for an early afternoon meal. According to eyewitness accounts, staff greeted the agents as customers, but their uniforms and presence caused visible anxiety among employees.
Employees and patrons described an uneasy atmosphere as the agents ate and then left. At the time, no arrests were reported inside the restaurant, but community members later raised concerns about the intent behind the visit.
Nighttime arrests
Hours after the restaurant closed for the evening, ICE officers reportedly followed several employees as they left work and detained three individuals near a local church and middle school around 8:30 p.m. Witnesses said bystanders blew whistles and shouted at agents during the arrests.
The Department of Homeland Security later stated that the operation involved surveillance of a specific target, identified as a Mexican national, and that the subsequent vehicle stop led to multiple detentions.
Department of Homeland Security Statement
The Department of Homeland Security said in part, “On January 14, ICE officers conducted surveillance of a target, an illegal alien from Mexico. Officers observed that the target’s vehicle was outside of a local business and positively identified him as the target while inside the business. Following the positive identification of the target, officers then conducted a vehicle stop later in the day 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.”
Community response and business impact
In the aftermath, El Tapatio temporarily closed its doors without any mention of reopening, with local reports suggesting fear and uncertainty across Willmar’s immigrant community. Residents and business owners told local media that some workers are afraid to return, and customers have stayed away. (This has been the case with beloved eateries in other states, too.)
Willmar is fewer than 100 miles west of Minneapolis and has a diverse population of a little over 21,000. ICE arrests have closed restaurants in the area, like El Tapatio, and left the community on edge.
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