DEFIANT Owners Welcome ICE To Resturant

A buffet table displaying a variety of colorful dishes and salads

A Mexican restaurant in Arizona has ignited a firestorm of controversy by publicly offering free meals to ICE agents, standing firm against leftist boycott threats while other businesses buckle under activist pressure.

Story Snapshot

Sammy’s Mexican Grill owners Betty and Jorge Rivas offer free meals to ICE agents, drawing boycott calls from activists
The Arizona restaurant owners have publicly supported President Trump and immigration enforcement since 2016
Harassment intensified after Trump’s 2024 reelection as ICE operations ramped up across Phoenix
The pro-ICE stance contrasts sharply with other Phoenix restaurants closing to protest enforcement actions

Standing Strong Against the Mob

Betty and Jorge Rivas, owners of Sammy’s Mexican Grill in Arizona, have maintained an unwavering policy of offering complimentary meals to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The restaurant owners have publicly supported President Trump and federal immigration enforcement since 2016, consistently expressing these views online and at political rallies. Their principled stance has drawn renewed fury from leftist activists following Trump’s 2024 reelection, with the restaurant enduring threats, harassing phone calls, and coordinated social media attacks demanding boycotts. Despite this intimidation campaign, the Rivases refuse to abandon their support for law enforcement officers doing the difficult work of securing America’s borders.

Two Americas on Full Display

The contrast between Sammy’s principled position and other Phoenix-area businesses could not be starker. While the Rivases welcome ICE agents, dozens of restaurants across the Valley participated in shutdown protests, with establishments like Tres Leches Cafe and Bianco restaurants closing their doors or donating proceeds to radical groups including the ACLU, Puente Movement, and No More Deaths. These businesses prioritized virtue signaling over serving customers, willingly sacrificing Friday revenue to align with anti-enforcement activists. Cafecito Pecas posted “We stand with our community” while Tres Leches Cafe acknowledged the financial risk of their political theater. This divide reflects the broader national split between Americans who support law and order versus those enabling illegal immigration.

ICE Operations Meet Organized Resistance

The restaurant controversy erupted amid intensified ICE enforcement operations throughout the Phoenix Valley following President Trump’s return to office. Federal agents conducted raids at area businesses including Zipps Sports Grill, where they detained several dozen individuals and used pepper spray when protesters attempted to interfere with lawful enforcement actions. Activists responded by organizing a January general strike urging “no school, no work, no shopping” to protest immigration enforcement. Similar disruptions occurred in Minneapolis on January 23, where business shutdowns accompanied protests against ICE operations. These coordinated actions demonstrate how open-borders advocates prioritize obstructing federal law enforcement over respecting the rule of law that protects American communities.

The Real Cost of Standing for America

The backlash against Sammy’s Mexican Grill exposes the intolerance of the left toward anyone supporting secure borders and immigration enforcement. The Rivases face financial losses from boycotts, negative review campaigns, and persistent harassment simply for backing policies that protect American sovereignty and citizens’ safety. Their courage stands in stark contrast to businesses that closed rather than serve customers, absorbing revenue losses to appease activists. The restaurant sector split reflects deeper fault lines where consumer loyalty increasingly aligns with political positions on immigration. While leftist protesters claim moral authority, they resort to intimidation tactics against a family business exercising free speech and supporting officers enforcing duly passed laws. This situation underscores how defending constitutional principles and borders now requires extraordinary courage against an organized activist mob.