Homeland Security raids Central Ohio Mexican restaurant ‘based on a tip…of undocumented immigrants’

Last Thursday afternoon, federal agents conducted a raid at a Central Ohio Mexican restaurant.

The City of Mount Vernon initially released a statement that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raided Pancho’s Tacos in Mount Vernon, and that the police department and the city’s law director “did not receive communication or coordination from ICE officials regarding the timing, scope, or nature of this operation.”

However, since the incident, the City of Mount Vernon learned that the raid was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations rather than ICE. The City of Mount Vernon released a statement that said, “Initial reports, including an earlier statement from the City, indicated that the operation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). However, the City of Mount Vernon has since received confirmation that HSI was the federal agency responsible for the operation. HSI has informed the City that the action was based on a tip related to the employment of undocumented immigrants.”

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Homeland Security Investigations has classified this matter as an “ongoing criminal investigation.”

“The City of Mount Vernon is focused on supporting all of our citizens, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring due process,” said their website. “Our role is to maintain a safe and orderly community, and we believe that clear communication and cooperation between all levels of government, including federal agencies, is the best way to achieve that.”

Panchos Tacos is currently temporarily closed. On their Facebook announcement that they’d be closed until further notice, hundreds of people expressed their solidarity with the restaurant, while some supported Homeland Security’s decision.

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