A popular taco truck in Southern California was temporarily abandoned after employees fled the business over fears federal immigration agents were close by, according to NBC4 Los Angeles.
Newsweek has contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.
Why It Matters
California has become a flashpoint in the nation’s immigration debate after protests in opposition to President Donald Trump‘s immigration agenda.
The Trump administration is enacting plans to remove millions of migrants without legal status as part of a strict mass deportation policy. Critics say the raids sow fears within immigrant communities.
The policy has raised concerns about its impact on the U.S. economy. The president’s mass deportation policy could impose a one-time cost of $315 billion, according to projections by the American Immigration Council.
What to Know
An employee told NBC 4 Los Angeles that the workers ran off on Saturday after noticing what they described as a suspicious vehicle and receiving a tip about federal immigration agents within the area.
“We only saw the car and that’s all. Before we could see them, we left,” Miguel Romero, a chef at the business, told the outlet.
The business was left deserted, with warm plates of food, untouched drinks, and cash still sitting in the register. The name of the business is not known.
Four employees were in the truck at the time of the incident before they all ran away.
Just hours earlier, the truck had been busy with customers until reports emerged of ICE agents conducting enforcement operations in the area.
The business closed for the day following the incident, per NBC4 Los Angeles. None of the employees were detained by ICE agents.
“It’s getting complicated because we can’t work properly,” Romero told the outlet.
Romero also said that between 30 percent to 40 percent of the businesses lack legal status.
It comes amid a backdrop of heightened tensions in California between Trump’s immigration enforcers and immigrant rights groups over the raids.
Angel’s Tijuana Tacos, a chain in the Los Angeles area, temporarily closed all but one of its locations amid ramped-up enforcement operations earlier this month. Several locations have since reopened following the closure.
What People Are Saying
Romero told NBC4 Los Angeles: “We are here out of necessity and well, nothing else to do but hide.”
Ron Davis, a witness, told NBC4 Los Angeles: “It could be anyone’s family. They’re just trying to make a living. It breaks your heart.”
Catie Laffoon, a resident of Eagle Rock, told NBC4 Los Angeles: “I can’t imagine the terror that you must feel if you leave your house like you have a target.”
Trump in a post on Truth Social on June 15: “We must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside. These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center.”
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