A Mexican restaurant in Arizona has ignited a firestorm of controversy after announcing it offers free meals to agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a policy that has drawn intense backlash from parts of the local Latino community.
Sammy’s Mexican Grill, owned by Betty and Jorge Rivas, has publicly and repeatedly expressed its unwavering support for President Donald Trump since 2016.
The Rivas couple are regular attendees at Trump campaign events and frequently share their pro-Trump views online. Their explicit support for federal immigration authorities has proven particularly divisive.
Related: Anti-ICE Protests Organize Friday Shutdown Across the U.S.
Following Trump’s 2024 reelection, the restaurant has been inundated with a renewed wave of threatening phone calls, hateful messages on social media, and calls for a boycott.
Opponents of the administration’s immigration policies have flooded the restaurant’s social media pages and Google reviews, urging the public to take their business elsewhere.
