ALERT: ICE Raid Causes ‘Panic Scenes’ at Florida Taquería

An operation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) resulted in three workers detained at a taquería in Tallahassee, Florida, on Friday, September 25. The business owner, Marco Tenorio, permanently closed the taquería following the operation.

The scene was captured by the establishment’s security cameras. Three people ran out screaming from the taquería Chile & Chili’s, located on West Tennessee Street. The video, distributed by Fox News Digital, shows a female worker being detained by federal agents.

Tenorio was in Mexico when the operation occurred. He had to purchase an emergency return flight. «It’s incredible that they treat people as if they were criminals,» he said in an interview with Univision.

Third raid in just over a month at the same taquería

This is the third immigration operation the business has suffered since mid-August, according to Tenorio’s account. In the first, agents briefly detained an employee who had left two small girls alone at home. Now the woman wears an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet.

Tenorio claimed that some county sheriff’s deputies who frequented the business as customers may have alerted ICE about his workers. This is an accusation by the owner that has not been confirmed by local authorities so far. The Tallahassee Police Department confirmed to local media that it did not participate in the operation, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

The three workers detained on Friday are Guatemalan nationals. One of them was processing an asylum claim and another had DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), a program that temporarily protects from deportation people who arrived in the United States as minors. Tenorio described them as workers with no criminal records.

What is DACA and what protection does it offer workers

DACA does not grant permanent immigration status. It only protects from deportation for a renewable period and allows applicants to request a work permit, known as EAD (Employment Authorization Document) or Form I-765, from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). An asylum process, on the other hand, is a request for protection from persecution in the country of origin and can take years to resolve before the Immigration Court (EOIR).

Neither of these processes guarantees immunity from an immigration arrest if ICE determines there is cause to detain the person. For this reason, immigrant rights organizations recommend that those with pending cases consult with an immigration attorney before any interaction with authorities.

Tenorio recounted that one of the detainees, a 25-year-old man, recently lost his father and now supports his mother. Another detainee, 23 years old, financially supports her mother who has cancer in Guatemala and two younger sisters. Their stories have not been independently verified by this outlet.

Economic impact and community reaction in Tallahassee

Tenorio decided to permanently close the business. He said he does not have safe facilities to protect his employees from future operations. «I want them to see the damage this policy causes,» he stated.

The closure comes amid a wave of community support. The organization Tallahassee Community Area Response Equipo (TCARE), a local affiliate of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, announced a demonstration in support of the business. An online fundraiser for the Tenorio family had exceeded $13,000 days after the operation, according to Fox News Digital.

Tallahassee had already experienced other immigration operations this year. On May 29, 2025, federal and local agents raided a student housing construction site in the CollegeTown area. Tenorio pointed out that those earlier detentions also affected construction workers and slowed projects in the city.

Those seeking legal guidance in case of a possible immigration arrest can consult directories of certified attorneys through organizations like the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) or visit free immigrant legal clinics in their community. Knowing one’s rights, including the right to remain silent and not sign documents without an attorney present, can make a difference during an operation.