86 ICE campaign urges restaurants and Hospitality Minnesota to protect immigrant staff

Workers in the Twin Cities are pressing restaurants and Hospitality Minnesota to make public commitments to shield immigrant employees from immigration enforcement, organizers said in a campaign called "86 ICE." The coalition says it has sent nearly 2,000 letters to Hospitality Minnesota since last month and is asking for a meeting to secure policies that would deny service to ICE agents and refuse them entry without a warrant.

The campaign takes its name from industry slang: 86 is an industry term that means an item is no longer available or someone is kicked out of an establishment. Organizers outlined specific demands that include denying service to ICE agents, refusing ICE entry without a warrant, offering employer flexibility to employees navigating immigration proceedings, and training staff on safety protocols for workers and customers.

Organizers timed visible actions in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, a traditionally busy night for restaurants, with an action centered around February 13, 2026. The coalition is targeting Hospitality Minnesota, identified by organizers as the state’s largest hospitality advocacy group, and is asking the group to meet directly with worker representatives to discuss formal commitments and implementation steps.

Jake, a Minneapolis line cook, described how the campaign grew out of fear among co-workers: "I cannot say I know exactly what this has felt like for them but I have witnessed with my own two eyes over the last two months the fear," Jake said of his immigrant coworkers. "They are visibly stressed and left wondering if it is worth the risk to go to work and potentially be kidnapped or stay at home and make no money. No one should have to be making impossible decisions like that."

Reporters have reached out to Hospitality Minnesota for comment and organizers say they have not received a response. The campaign materials and the nearly 2,000 letters have not been made public in full; organizers say the letters were sent to press their request for an institutional position from Hospitality Minnesota and commitments from member restaurants.

Campaigners link their push to broader impacts from Operation Metro Surge. Restaurant industry leaders and city officials have reported a massive downturn in business since the operation began, and Minneapolis city officials estimate the influx of ICE and Border Patrol agents has resulted in losses of $100 million or more in Minneapolis alone. Organizers and some elected officials point to a proposed $10 million relief package from Gov. Tim Walz for businesses impacted by ICE as part of the policy response to those losses.

With an announced drawdown of federal immigration agents leaving restaurants and hospitality workers waiting to see what’s next, the 86 ICE campaign is pressing Hospitality Minnesota and individual restaurateurs for concrete workplace protections and a public stance on enforcement encounters.