Three employees of El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant in Willmar, Minnesota, were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on January 15, 2026, shortly after serving lunch to them. The restaurant’s dishwasher and two owners left the establishment early upon realizing that ICE agents had dined there before conducting the arrests.
Following the incident, El Tapatio has remained closed; however, the owners’ son announced plans to reopen the restaurant for customers the following day. In remarks to Willmar Radio, Willmar Mayor Doug Reese emphasized the role of ICE as a federal agency fulfilling its responsibilities, calling for community respect towards “peaceful, lawful protest.”
According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the detentions were focused on a target identified as illegal immigrant Jose Rosario Gomez. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin detailed that agents conducted a vehicle stop later that day, apprehending Gomez and two other illegal aliens present in the vehicle, one of whom had a final order of removal from an immigration judge.
Community Reactions and Increased Tensions
The events in Willmar coincided with heightened police presence in the area, with some local businesses reportedly closing in response to the ICE activity. While streets returned to a semblance of normalcy, residents expressed concern about increased law enforcement presence. On the same day, ICE agents faced hostility at a Mexican restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota, where diners verbally confronted them, demanding their departure.
This surge of public unrest is linked to ongoing protests against ICE, particularly in Minneapolis, where demonstrations have persisted for two weeks following the shooting of a protester who attempted to run over agents with her vehicle. Tensions further escalated when federal law enforcement officers shot an illegal Venezuelan national during an ambush while attempting an arrest on the same day as the Willmar incident.
The unfolding situation highlights the broader national debate surrounding immigration enforcement and community responses, underscoring the complex dynamics at play in areas where federal agencies operate.
