Lilliana Rodriguez
Last week, four ICE agents dressed in plain-clothes and masks raided a taco truck in Memphis, Tennessee with no badges or IDs. The men were seen hauling away restaurant workers as part of a raid later confirmed in a media statement released by the City of Memphis.
TACOnganas owner Greg Diaz posted the security footage on social media, stating “We have heard from the employees. They’ve been told they’re being detained by ICE… If not for our security cameras, we would not even know this happened.” Diaz continued to say that they have contacted legal aid organizations to help the employees along with communicating with their families through this process.
Back in 2022, The U.S. Department of Labor opened an investigation into Diaz after social media screenshots were shared of Diaz posting advertisements recruiting Mexican workers for jobs at his food trucks. Diaz, who is also a pastor and a non-profit leader, posted requirements for the position as 12-hour work days with only one day off where the employees would earn 13,000 pesos per week, approximately $665 USD. Additionally, a video of Diaz surfaced where he threatened to fire and pursue legal action against employees if they took more than one meal and one soda per day without permission.
In some of the ads, Diaz even writes, “El viaje no es con visa pero 100% seguro” (“The trip is not with a visa but 100% safe.”). The Commercial Appeal obtained an employee schedule showing workers with 72 to even 91-hour work weeks.
Diaz had also announced to employees that the company would be taking 30% of all tips left on credit cards, with a former employee commenting that Diaz never told employees where the money was going.
There has not been a decision made so far in regards to the investigation on whether Diaz has been involved in labor trafficking. The Department of Homeland Security claims that the latest arrest of “three Mexican nationals unlawfully present in the U.S.” was part of a “work site enforcement operation… based on information received related to potential labor trafficking”
Diaz, a prominent member of the Latino community in Memphis, concluded in his post, “Our company complies with federal and local immigration laws, and we know everyone is dealing with situations like this. We know our community is scared. As the country navigates a new normal, we’re here to support the community and to support our workforce and people, too.”
Photo: Security footage showing plainclothes and masked ICE agents carrying out a raid on TACOnganas.
The Worker is an entirely volunteer-run revolutionary newspaper free from and radically antagonistic to corporate influence. We rely on the support of our readers to sustain our editorial line in service of the working class and the reconstitution of its party, the Communist Party. Make a one-time or recurring donation to our newspaper today:
Make a one-time donation
Make a monthly donation
Choose an amount
Or enter a custom amount
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateDonate monthly
