A Minnesota pizza shop is supporting citizens amid the ICE raids by slinging frozen pies to vulnerable people, collecting dry goods, and donating perishable products to those in need.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been operating in Minneapolis since early December, with more being deployed in January by the Trump administration.
According to the government, ICE is present in the state to ‘arrest fraudsters, murderers, rapists, and gang members’ in what has been dubbed Operation Metro Surge.
One business that is helping support powerless neighbours during the US’ ‘largest immigration operation ever’ is Wrecktangle, a pizza palace famed for its Detroit-style slices.
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“Every time something has hit the community, we’ve responded,” said Breanna Evans, one of Wrecktangle’s co-owners.
Her partner, co-owner, and fellow chef Jeff Rogers, recently told TODAY.com that when ICE’s presence became overwhelming, they immediately began ‘spitballing’ on how best they could serve the city’s people.
To get the ball rolling they began by extending their feelers out to other eateries across the city.
They reasoned that because their own staff were ‘feeling’ ICE’s presence, other restaurant workers would understand it too and ‘be scared to leave their homes’.
After some brainstorming, a plan was formed: Wrecktangle would deliver food to other establishments for it to be distributed to staff members.
Since 7 January, Evans and Rogers have focused their operations and worked with other establishments to create a fundraising network.
They have also banded together to organise meal drops, and established a dry-goods donation drive.
“We’re no strangers to this. We’re just trying to help out, and the only way that we really know how is to make food,” the latter said.
Staff members and volunteers who felt as if they could go to work have been batch cooking frozen pizzas at Wrecktangle.
According to the interview with TODAY, the small business had raised $200,000, sent out 500 of the 1,100 frozen pizzas, and given away 200 pizzas from in-store donations.
The company has also provided 300 four-person family meals. There were plans in place to package 400 to 500 more before last weekend.
Moreover, Wrecktangle’s herculean efforts have seen them launching a unique contribution program.
This is a receipt matching effort, with a single pizza being donated for any meal purchased at any local eatery on a specific day.
However, Wrecktangle admitted that when the frozen pizza production became overwhelming, they turned their attention to collecting dry-goods.
“We’ve seen donations come in from all over the world; we’ve seen words of encouragement come in from all over the world. It’s a glimmer of hope,” said Rogers.
He also confessed that when the business was accepting physical donations, there were tons of necessary products going in and out every day.
According to the interview with TODAY, the small business had raised $200,000, sent out 500 of the 1,100 frozen pizzas, and given away 200 pizzas from in-store donations.
The company has also provided 300 four-person family meals. There were plans in place to package 400 to 500 more before last weekend.
Evans admitted that the ‘scariest thing’ about Wrecktangle and partners’ efforts is that may not be enough to stave off widespread fear.
“It will cripple the restaurant industry, it’ll ruin so many things that are already very fragile in January and February,” he said.
“You can’t afford to be closing days, you can’t afford to be having shifts covered and then paying the people who can’t come to work, you can’t afford this,” Rogers added.
Despite no longer taking in physical products, Wrecktangle is accepting Venmo donations.
In a video posted to Facebook, Evans said that the money would ‘go directly to buy food that we are preparing’, including the frozen pizzas and meal kits.
Ella Scott