On June 6, the Trump administration doubled down on its immigration crackdown, ordering U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain and deport migrants across the country. Those measures have only intensified within Southern California, where detainees reportedly endure parched throats and mounting fear — with little food or water to sustain them. In the wake of the aggressive immigration sweeps, protests have broken out around downtown Los Angeles, prompting President Donald Trump to retaliate by authorizing the deployment of 2,000 California National Guard troops. These demonstrations reflect a growing resistance from communities directly impacted by the raids. On June 9, U.S. military officials confirmed that 700 Marines were also deployed to guard federal agents and buildings.
The ongoing raids have terrorized undocumented immigrant workers at Home Depot, car washes and factories and farms. Food vendors, namely workers at taquerias and fruit stands, have also been targeted en masse.
Jason Devora, owner of Jason’s Tacos, captured the devastating impact in a tense Instagram video, revealing how swiftly federal agents emptied his taco truck by taking his employees.
“This is not a joke; they just took all of my employees. All of them,” Devora, who can’t be seen in the video, is heard saying while pacing around his truck. “Wow. They took all of my employees within two minutes,” he added.
“They [ICE] don’t ask anything…They snatch you like a dog,” Devora told L.A. TACO, explaining that two of his employees had volunteered to work that day despite getting the week off. “They rope them up, and if you try to run, they run 10 – 15 cars deep, and they cover every corner. They busted my clients who were ordering. The streets ain’t safe, that’s all I gotta say.”
Amid the turmoil, several Los Angeles area food businesses have closed their doors out of fear. Angel's Tijuana Tacos took to Instagram last week to announce that its brick-and-mortar taqueria in Anaheim is the only location that will remain open for the time being. The remaining 15 locations — which are predominantly taco trucks and taco stands, according to Men's Journal — will stay closed until further notice.
“Anaheim is our only location open. ALL other locations will be closed until further notice. We hope to see you soon. Stay safe everyone,” the taco chain wrote in a caption to its more than 430,000 followers.
Brothers Cousins Tacos, best known for their street tacos and mulitas, announced on Saturday that they will close their doors until further notice. Same with Birria El Jaliciense, a taco pop-up that operates only on the weekends, and Tacos El Venado.
As protests continue throughout Los Angeles and spread across the country, local community members and restaurants have rallied in support by donating proceeds to organizations that are assisting immigrant workers. Long Beach-based Mexican restaurant El Barrio Cantina is donating all of its sales made through its Órale! Menu to Órale, an immigrant-led movement fighting to end the criminalization of immigrant communities. Additionally, Taqueria Frontera partnered with CIELO, an Indigenous women-led non-profit, to support immigrant families with food, legal aid and mental health resources. And this past weekend, Carnitas El Gordo Panzon donated homemade food to families and individuals affected by the raids.
Want more great food writing and recipes? Sign up for Salon’s free food newsletter, The Bite.
Tito Rodriguez (a.k.a. the “Hood Santa”), known for giving back to thousands of families in Long Beach and the Los Angeles area through his nonprofit Local Hearts Foundation, provided groceries for impacted families scared of leaving their homes following the ICE raids.
“We’ve all felt hunger…But most of us born here have never feared stepping outside our door,” he wrote on Instagram. “Today, we showed up with groceries for families hiding, starving, and scared after the ICE raids. This isn’t justice. This is cruelty. Thank you to the Singers for helping us feed our people in a time of terror.”
On Reddit, several users offered alternative acts of solidarity for those looking to protect their local communities outside of protesting.
“I think a good strategy instead of protesting could be many people standing guard at the taco trucks and stands,” said user u/Comfortable-Twist-54. “It would need to be coordinated with the stands to be effective. But strategy is really needed because clearly they are using strategy against us.” Another user, u/Giggle_Mortis, proposed “coordinated buyouts.”
“[I]f we can pay people's rent/expenses they can stay home,” they said.
Shares