ICE Raid on Florida Taqueria Leaves Three Workers Detained, Owner Closes Business

• ICE detained three Guatemalan workers
• Owner decided to close the business permanently
• The taqueria faced three immigration operations.

ICE raid on Florida taqueria. An ICE raid at a taqueria in Tallahassee, Florida, ended with three Guatemalan workers detained and scenes of employees running from agents, according to videos of the operation that took place on September 25.

Marco Tenorio, owner of Chile & Chili’s, told N+ Univision that he decided to close the business permanently after the operation because he did not want to continue exposing his employees. According to his account, the establishment has faced three immigration operations in just over a month.

ICE Raid on Taqueria: «There Were People Having Panic Attacks»

Food truck workers bolt from ICE officers as an immigration raid unfolds outside a popular Tallahassee taqueria.

Security footage shows several workers running from officers before three employees get detained and taken away. The workers are Guatemala natives, according to local reporting.

Now the fallout is hitting the business. Chile & Chili’s Taqueria has permanently closed its Tennessee Street location, with the owner saying other employees quit following the raid.

— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 29, 2026

Tenorio was in Mexico when the latest operation took place and said he watched what happened through the security cameras. After learning what had happened, he bought a flight back to Florida.

«It was horrible, there were people with panic attacks, lying on the floor,» he told N+ Univision. «It’s incredible that they treat people like they’re criminals.»

The released footage shows workers quickly leaving the establishment when agents arrived. Prensa Libre also reported that the operation caused scenes of chaos and that three Guatemalan workers were detained.

Owner Announces Permanent Closure of Taqueria

🚨🇺🇸 TALLAHASSEE: ICE agents carried out an operation at the Chile & Chili’s Taqueria food truck, on Tennessee Street.

A video shows several workers fleeing. The owner has already announced the permanent closure after other employees quit. https://t.co/fX2H1gyU6z

— Global Network News 🌎 (@GlobalNetw33) September 30, 2026

Tenorio told N+ Univision that this was the third raid the business had faced. After the latest operation, he decided not to continue operating under the same conditions.

«I’m closing permanently because we’re very exposed,» he said. Although he acknowledged that he could hire new employees and continue working, he explained that doing so would be like acting «as if nothing had happened here.»

The businessman argued that immigration policies can also have economic consequences for small businesses. «I want them to see the damage they’re causing with this policy,» he said during the interview.

Who Are the Three Detained Guatemalan Workers?

🚨🔥 JUST IN: ICE agents carried out a worksite operation at a Florida taqueria — and the business has now SHUT DOWN.

Three workers were detained during the September 25 operation at Chile & Chili’s Taqueria in Tallahassee. According to reports, the workers were from Guatemala; the owner said two were in the U.S. unlawfully while the third was pursuing asylum. The remaining workers reportedly quit afterward, and the owners closed the business. (https://t.co/etlkr8FQCN)

The footage is WILD. 👀

ICE agents moved in quickly, workers ran from the scene, and officers later detained them and escorted them to vehicles.

This is what increased worksite enforcement looks like on the ground. 🇺🇸

Florida has also become a major participant in the federal 287(g) program, which allows participating state and local law-enforcement agencies to perform certain immigration-enforcement functions under ICE supervision. ICE has expanded these partnerships nationwide. (The Guardian)

🔥 WORKSITE ENFORCEMENT
🔥 287(g) PARTNERSHIPS
🔥 MORE IMMIGRATION ARRESTS
🔥 MORE FEDERAL-LOCAL COOPERATION

The Trump administration has made immigration enforcement a central part of its agenda, and operations like this show that the policy is being actively carried out far beyond the southern border. (https://t.co/0PYM1KcXlw)

🇺🇸 The immigration debate is no longer theoretical.

ENFORCEMENT IS HAPPENING.

— The Golden Age (@QAceofTruth) September 29, 2026

According to Tenorio, the three detained employees are Guatemalan. The owner said some were seeking asylum while others were under DACA and had work permits.

One of the detainees is 23 years old and, according to Tenorio, worked to financially support her mother in Guatemala, who has cancer, as well as help provide for her two younger sisters.

The other two detainees are men, ages 33 and 25. Tenorio explained that they are trying to arrange legal assistance for all three and that the workers were transferred to different detention centers far from Tallahassee.

ICE Raid on Taqueria: Fear of Operations Grows in Tallahassee

The taqueria owner said immigration operations are affecting the behavior of some residents and customers in Tallahassee.

«The neighbors are tired, and you can see that there is fear,» he told N+ Univision. According to Tenorio, fewer customers are visiting certain businesses because of fear generated by the raids.

The businessman, who said he is Mexican and became a naturalized U.S. citizen after arriving in the country eight years ago, also expressed concern about possible retaliation after making his criticism public.

Tenorio Sends a Message to Trump

When asked what he would say to President Donald Trump, Tenorio defended the role of immigrants in the United States and rejected the idea that they can all be considered criminals.

«Immigrants are not criminals, not all of them, not my workers,» he said. He also called for alternatives that would allow employers to support the immigration processes of workers they consider important to their businesses.

Tenorio insisted that he will try to recover economically, but said he considers what his employees and other immigrants are facing unfair amid increased immigration operations.