Federal law enforcement agents were forced to leave a Mexican restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday after customers inside began yelling at them and demanding they get out. According to Fox News, the incident happened at Cancun Mexican Grill & Cantina. Videos from inside the restaurant show federal agents walking through the dining area while angry diners shouted abuse, followed them, and recorded everything on their phones.

The incident came right after Federal officers fired tear gas and sprayed eye irritants at activists in Minneapolis on Tuesday as anger over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown spilled onto the streets.

Angry diners force federal agents out of Minnesota restaurant

In the video, several customers asked whether the agents had a warrant to be inside the restaurant. Some diners pointed out that the restaurant staff had asked the agents to leave.

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Under US law, federal immigration officers are allowed to enter public areas of a business, such as dining spaces, without special permission. However, they are not allowed to enter private areas like kitchens, offices, storage rooms, or employee-only spaces unless they have permission or a warrant. As the agents walked away, one woman could be heard yelling repeatedly, “Take off your mask! Take off your mask!”

The situation escalated as the agents exited the restaurant. People raised their middle fingers and hurled more insults. Some voices could be heard yelling, “Get the f— out of here, “Coward,  “Unamerican pieces of s—,” and  “Nazi pieces of s—.” The agents did not respond and continued walking out.

The restaurant confrontation comes at a time of growing anger and protests across the country following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on January 7. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Good allegedly hit an ICE agent with her car while blocking an immigration enforcement operation. DHS claims the agent suffered internal bleeding in his torso.

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‘Spot ICE agent, hit record’: Tim Walz

Earlier, Democratic Governor Tim Walz asked Minnesotans to use their phones to document federal officers carrying out immigration enforcement in the state. Walz said the move will help keep a record of exactly what’s happening in the community. 

Addressing the public on Wednesday, Walz said, “help us establish a record of exactly what’s happening in our communities,” he said. “You have an absolute right to peacefully film ICE agents as they conduct these activities. Carry your phone at all times, and if you see ICE in your neighbourhood, hit record. Help us create a database of the atrocities against Minnesotans, not just to record it for history, but to bank evidence for future prosecution.”

With the Department of Homeland Security planning to send more than 2,000 immigration officers into Minnesota, the state, along with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed a lawsuit on Monday to stop or limit the operation. The case is expected to move to federal court, where Minnesota and two mayors are asking a judge to immediately suspend the enforcement surge. No hearing date has been set yet.