Shocking footage captured the moment three taco truck workers were hauled away by a burly group of men claiming to be ICE agents.
Video of the interaction was shared by Memphis taco truck company Taconganas, which said the men ‘entered one of our trucks and took away several of our employees’ on Monday morning.
‘We were not told beforehand, and we have not been told since,’ the taco business said on Facebook.
The footage showed four men in jeans and hoodies walking up to the eatery and confronting three restaurant workers before escorting them away.
Some are wearing balaclavas and face coverings. None are wearing ICE uniforms.
ICE is yet to respond to the footage or confirm whether the men were sent by them.
The food truck, which insisted that it ‘complies with federal and local immigration laws’, said on social media that it has been in contact with the workers and ‘they’ve been told they’re being detained by ICE.’
‘We don’t know if the men you see in the video work for ICE or for someone else. You’ll see they have no uniforms, do not show any badge or ID, and did not leave any identifying information or paperwork,’ the taco business said.
Shocking footage captured the moment three taco truck workers were hauled away by a burly group of men posing as ICE agents
The men were seen walking up to a truck owned by Memphis taco company Taconganas and confronting workeers, while failing to show any ID’s or badges
The men detained three workers in the food truck and escorted them away, with the food truck saying that it has been in contact with the workers and ‘they’ve been told they’re being detained by ICE’
Viewers of the taco truck video, which was viewed over one million times, were quick to cast doubt on the claim that the men in the video were legitimate ICE officers
‘If not for our security cameras, we would not even know this happened.’
It comes as individuals in at least three states have been arrested for impersonating ICE officers since President Trump retook office and launched an aggressive immigration crackdown.
Viewers were quick to cast doubt on the claim that the men in the video were legitimate ICE officers.
One viewer responded: ‘No ID, no badge, entering without permission. Looks like straight up kidnapping.’
‘I don’t think they work for ICE,’ another said. ‘It’s something about the way they’re acting.’
Taconganas said it has contacted legal aid organizations to help its employees, and is ‘gathering any information we have to share with their families.’
‘Our company complies with federal and local immigration laws, and we know everyone is dealing with situations like this. We know our community is scared,’ the post read.
‘As the country navigates a new normal, we’re here to support the community and to support our workforce and people, too.’
It comes as authorities in several states say they have encountered people fraudulently posing as ICE officers in the wake of Trump’s immigration crackdown.
It comes as authorities in several states say they have encountered people fraudulently posing as ICE officers in the wake of Trump’s immigration crackdown
Last week, police in Pennsylvania said they arrested two students at Temple University for allegedly impersonating ICE officers.
The students were found wearing shirts reading ‘police’ and ‘ICE’ in white lettering, and were attempting to enter residence halls when they were caught.
Temple University said in a statement after their arrests: ‘Impersonating law enforcement officers is a crime. This behavior and harassment of Temple community members will not be tolerated.’
South Carolina police also reported a suspect, Sean Michael Emmrich Johnson, was caught two days before the Temple University students trying to pull a similar stunt.
He was seen in a viral video berating a Hispanic man and shouting ‘You’re going back to Mexico.’
Cops with the Sullivan’s Island Police Department said Johnson was charged with felony kidnapping, impersonating a law enforcement officer and two other misdemeanors.
And in North Carolina, Carl Thomas Bennett Jr. was also arrested after allegedly propositioning a woman in a motel, flashing a fake badge and threatening to deport her if she rejected his advances, reports The Hill.
