‘I hope you die!’ Anti-ICE mob gets vicious against private citizens eating lunch as they’re mistaken for federal agents
Anti-ICE activists are not just invading Christian churches services, they’re apparently harassing ordinary American citizens simply trying to eat lunch.
Alpha News reports: “What began as a casual lunch between five Twin Cities software engineers quickly escalated into a frightening encounter after the men were misidentified as undercover federal agents and protesters were alerted to the Minneapolis restaurant where they were dining.”
The scene unfolded as one of the engineers, all of whom were white men sporting sweatshirts and jackets, got a text message from an anti-ICE Signal chat he was part of, indicating ICE agents were present in the Minneapolis restaurant in which they were dining.
“My friend was shocked,” said Lee, one of the engineers who spoke to Alpha News. “He’s on the [anti-ICE] side politically. He lives nearby. He’s eaten there before. And suddenly he’s seeing messages saying we’re ICE.”
Dozens of agitators were drawn to the restaurant within 15 minutes because of the alert, and began blowing whistles and intimidating the diners.
In video of the incident, a protester asks: “Who do you work with here?”
“We do custom apps for a whole bunch of companies around Minnesota and the country,” one of the men answered.
One of the engineers asked the crowd, “Do I look like an ICE agent?”
One woman replied, “Yeah, you look like a f***ing ICE agent.”
Although the man attempted to say that he too is against ICE, protesters responded by shouting: “If you’re not with us then you’re against us!” and “Get out of our f***ing city!”
Lee said once the men stepped outside of Clancey’s Deli, the atmosphere quickly got volatile.
“Next thing we know, people are yelling, ‘I hope you die!’ and calling us pedophiles.”
“My buddy thought we were going to get shot,” he said, indicating the restaurant owner is responsible for the mayhem. “You don’t tell extremists that random customers are ICE agents. That’s how people get hurt.”
Lee told Alpha News his group’s political views are mixed.
“One of us is pro-ICE, one anti-ICE, others on the fence,” he said. “After this, I think some of them are rethinking everything.”
He noted the agitators seemed excited by the confrontation.
“It felt like their Super Bowl,” he said. “Like they’d been waiting days for someone to finally show up.”
On Sunday, as WorldNetDaily reported, an anti-ICE mob invaded Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, sparking an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Joe Rigney, a Baptist pastor who co-founded that church 11 years ago, said on X: “This is a normal Baptist Church. They worship Jesus. They love each other. They seek the good of their neighbors.
“And the Left hates them and wants to shut them down, because one of their pastors serves his country in law enforcement, putting his life on the line to remove rapists and violent criminal illegal immigrants from our streets.
“The Democrats are the party of lawlessness, of cultural decay, social disorder, and death. It’s time for Christian boldness – for courage and clarity about Jesus and sin. And it’s time for our governing officials to fulfill their mandate and become a terror to evil conduct. They do not bear the sword in vain. That’s what our nation needs.”
Eleven years ago today, I helped plant Cities Church.
I served as a pastor there for 8 years.
This is a normal Baptist Church.
They worship Jesus.
They love each other.
They seek the good of their neighbors.
And the Left hates them and wants to shut them down, because… https://t.co/A0eiRE34uT
— Joe Rigney (@joe_rigney) January 19, 2026
A spokesperson for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said on Monday: “The governor has repeatedly an unequivocally urged protesters to do so peacefully. While people have a right to speak out, he in no way supports interrupting a place of worship.”
To those asking where the arrests are: MN state prosecutors could have made arrests yesterday. The DOJ must first go before a federal judge to obtain an arrest warrant.
Make no mistake: @AGPamBondi & @TheJusticeDept will pursue federal charges in this case. pic.twitter.com/aifeMUwvmf
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) January 19, 2026
The world is watching. pic.twitter.com/R9Ukb21oZP
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) January 19, 2026
Follow Joe on X @JoeKovacsNews