As ICE presence grows and tensions run high in Minneapolis, one small Indian restaurant has decided not to look away. Curry Corner, a local favourite, has shut its doors for now — not out of silence or fear, but to protect its people while still showing up for the community outside.

Curry Corner, a small and popular Indian eatery, is among hundreds of businesses across Minneapolis that have closed their doors to protest the sharp rise in ICE activity. To support people protesting against the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the restaurant began handing out free samosas and meals to demonstrators in downtown Minneapolis. Videos shared on Instagram showed staff members distributing hot snacks as people enjoyed and appreciated the gesture.

Indian restaurant in  Minneapolis distrubute free samosas to protestors

Curry Corner, located in Northeast Minneapolis, announced last week that it would be closing “until further notice.” The message was shared on Instagram. “Due to ongoing safety concerns in Minneapolis, we’ve made the very difficult decision to temporarily close to protect our team,” the restaurant wrote.

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Even though the restaurant doors are shut, Curry Corner has not stepped away from the moment. Instead, its team has been showing up on the streets with food. “We are closed, but we are still gonna go out and support our community,” the restaurant wrote in one post.

“Today, we took Curry Corner into downtown Minneapolis to support our community. We went out to share warm samosas and meals with those protesting and standing up for what they believe in.”

The closure has come at a high cost for the family-owned business. With no regular income coming in, Curry Corner launched a GoFundMe campaign to help support its staff during the shutdown. The fundraiser described the closure as “a major financial hardship to our small, family-owned business.” As of now, more than $25,000 has been raised toward a $26,000 goal.

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Protests spread across Minnesota

Curry Corner is not alone. On Friday, Minneapolis saw a major march against ICE, followed by a statewide work stoppage on Saturday. Around 300 businesses across Minnesota closed for the day, with many offering free food to protesters as a sign of unity.

Protests spilled onto the streets following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti, who was shot by a US Border Patrol officer on Saturday. Earlier, former US presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton both condemned the ongoing actions of federal agents in Minnesota, calling out the unlawful tactics that have already claimed the lives of two US citizens. Senate Democrats, meanwhile, have threatened to cut funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

The Trump administration has defended the actions of federal agents. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the investigation into Pretti’s death is ongoing and that videos alone don’t tell the full story. Border patrol officials, including Gregory Bovino, argued that agents were trying to arrest someone else and that protesters and agitators interfered, escalating the situation.