This backlash is un-cone-stitutional!
A Las Vegas ice-cream truck has sparked fears of mass illegal-migrant deportation raids after it was mistaken for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle — leaving its distraught owner to stress, “I’m an ice cream man, that’s it.”
Billy Settlemyers, the owner of Las Vegas Ice Cream Patrol, found himself in the middle of a firestorm last week after an ill-advised social-media user blasted out images of his truck and suggested it was part of an elaborate plot to round up illegal migrants.
“Please be on the lookout for ‘ice cream’ trucks. … They ever play music to get people to come outside. … This is actually so sick,” the user posted alongside a since-deleted TikTok video.
The misguided warning immediately stoked fears that Settlemyers’ sweet-treat business was actually a cover for a federal government operation.
“ICE and Border Patrol don’t use trucks from 1985,” Settlemyers told 8 News Now in the wake of the backlash.
“I’m an ice-cream man, that’s it.”
His truck has a law-enforcement-style badge plastered on its side and the words “ice cream patrol” emblazoned across it. It also states it is not affiliated with any law-enforcement agency.
“I wanted to build something creative for my community — nice and clean and approachable,” Settlemyers said.
“Safe for kids. That’s it.”
But the rumors that Settlemyers is moonlighting as an ICE agent spread quickly.
“Basically, ‘Be on the lookout, Las Vegas is using ice cream trucks as cover to catch illegal aliens,’ Settlemyers described one of the posts as saying.
Another declared: “ICE is in Las Vegas. Please stay safe.
“They had a checkpoint… one even disguised as an ice cream truck.”
Settlemyers, a former mechanic who fitted out the truck himself, said he’s been on the receiving end of violent threats for days, too.
“I feel kind of like a target,” Settlemyers told the outlet.
“People have to stop and realize with social media how many people are going to see their video and the repercussions from it are dangerous, possibly.”
The mix-up unfolded as President Donald Trump’s promised migrant crackdown continued to unfold across the country, including in New York City.
Last week alone, ICE arrested roughly 1,200 people across major cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles.
