TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A longtime Tallahassee food truck is shutting down due to safety concerns after three people were detained outside the business Friday, according to one of the owners.
Chile and Chili’s, located on Tennessee Street, became the focus of a now-viral video showing several people running from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers around the eatery.
According to one of the owners, the incident transpired Friday when one of the food truck’s employees was being pursued by ICE. The employee allegedly jumped out of his vehicle and ran into the restaurant’s parking lot, where two other employees also ran, the owner said.
The owner said all three individuals were in the process of finalizing their immigration paperwork before they were detained.
Ultimately, the owner said the family decided to close the food truck after the remainder of their staff, who she said were all in the country legally, quit.
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Now, the family is looking at other ways to continue operating their business.
As of Monday afternoon, the current status of all three people detained is unclear. However, the owner said she was told one of them was taken to Walton County.
WCTV reached out to the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for additional information and confirmation of the arrests but had not received a response as of Monday afternoon.
Longtime customers said the closure is difficult to see.
“It brought me and my mom and my family together. It brought me and my boyfriend together. I’m saying it brought the whole community,” Zwane Queeley, a Tallahassee resident said. “For it to just get raided by ICE, it just really changes how I see everything.”
Local organizations, such as the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance, are also planning protests related to the incident. It is scheduled to take place Monday at 5712 W Tennessee Street, starting at 6:30 p.m.
Tune in to Eyewitness News at 5 and 6 for the full story. This story will also be updated this evening with full details.
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Dining and Cooking