Pancho’s Taqueria has reopened with limited hours after temporarily closing following the detention of one of its employees by federal officers earlier this month, according to the restaurant.
In a Facebook post dated Jan. 16, Pancho’s said it had resumed operations from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., offering dine-in, takeout and pickup service. The restaurant said hours could change depending on staff and customer safety. Doors are currently controlled access only, and the post stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are barred from entry.
The restaurant initially announced its closure after reporting that one of its employees was detained while working at the Circle Pines location. According to Pancho’s, the employee was in the country legally with a valid work visa.
The incident occurred around 5 p.m., the restaurant said. In its account, Pancho’s stated that two Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers dressed in plain clothes observed people entering and exiting the restaurant for approximately 20 minutes.
Pancho’s said the employee exited through the back of the restaurant to take out trash and access a storage unit, at which point the officers entered the unit, restrained him and detained him. The restaurant identified the employee as Latino.
According to Pancho’s, the employee was transported to the Whipple Building in Minneapolis and later flown to El Paso, Texas, within about 12 hours for processing. The restaurant said it is working with the employee’s wife and an immigration attorney to seek his release from a detention facility in El Paso.
Video footage of the incident, provided to Bring Me The News and posted on Facebook, shows two individuals in nonuniform clothing exiting a dark-colored vehicle and approaching a white storage unit. The video appears to show the individuals forcing a man out of the unit as he yells in Spanish and attempting to flee before being taken to the ground and restrained. The man can be heard yelling “ayuda” before being handcuffed and led back to the vehicle.
In a statement posted online, the restaurant said community support in the days following the incident has been a source of encouragement. Pancho’s is also seeking donations through GoFundMe to help cover legal expenses and lost wages and has asked members of the public to share video footage related to the incident.
ABC Newspapers has contacted ICE for comment regarding the detention. As of publication, no response had been received.