Arizona Restaurant Owners Face Backlash for Supporting ICE Agents

In Arizona, a Mexican restaurant managed by immigrant owners has been subjected to a wave of negative reactions, including hateful messages, calls, and online reviews. This backlash stems from their practice of providing free meals to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Nonetheless, the owners maintain they will counter the negativity with kindness.

“We aim to respond positively. I believe that fueling more hate with hate will not bring any beneficial outcomes,” said Jorge Rivas, the owner of Sammy’s Mexican Grill, during an interview with Fox News Digital.

A recent social media video by Pulso featured Sammy’s Mexican Grill as a restaurant that not only respects federal immigration enforcement agents but also offers them complimentary meals.

“Everything began when a local reporter asked if the free meal offer on our restaurant wall, which applies to law enforcement officers, also includes ICE agents,” said Rivas, originally from El Salvador. “And I replied affirmatively because they also enforce laws, working under the leadership of President Trump. They act under laws that have existed through many presidencies, not doing anything different compared to past administrations like Obama’s or Clinton’s. Offering free meals is simply our way of expressing gratitude for their service and sacrifices,” he explained.

Following the viral video, the restaurant has been targeted with a slew of negative reviews and calls. However, the staff consistently strive to reply cordially. “Often, we just say, ‘God bless you, thank you, you have a great day,’” Rivas mentioned.

Rivas is particularly concerned about the influx of one-star online reviews, some of which falsely claim the restaurant has unsanitary conditions or serves food that causes illnesses.

“It does get to you after countless calls with negativity and insults,” Rivas admitted. “And seeing all those one-star reviews on Google, eventually people might start to doubt and question, ‘Are they truly as bad as these comments suggest?’ Claims like ‘this place is infested with cockroaches’ or ‘I got ill after eating a burrito here’ emerge,”

he continued.

The policy of providing free meals to law enforcement is not a novel strategy for the restaurant.

“We’ve been implementing this for more than five years,” Rivas conveyed. “Officers habitually visit our restaurant and, most of the time, don’t pay. Occasionally, they choose to pay if they’ve had free meals on previous visits. Yet, they frequently dine for free. It’s not a new initiative that started suddenly,” he clarified.

Jorge Rivas, an advocate for President Donald Trump, is active in state Republican politics, having unsuccessfully run in the GOP primary for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District and previously seeking the gubernatorial nomination in 2022.

Increased tensions regarding ICE have followed the January death of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent during an alleged vehicular assault on an officer. Protests have escalated since the Border Patrol’s shooting of Alex Pretti on January 24.

In January, ICE disclosed significant increases in assaults (1,300%), vehicle attacks (3,200%), and death threats (8,000%) against officers.

Rivas urges protestors to engage in more constructive activities. “Many people feel the need for a goal or purpose. They might believe confronting ICE or federal agents fills a void within them. They should seek moral values through Jesus and God, which will truly fulfill them,” Rivas suggested.