The Sporkful When ICE Came, This Minnesota Restaurant Stepped Up
Mar 2, 2026
Melissa Silva, co-owner and CEO of El Burrito Mercado and lifelong community leader, shares how her family’s nearly 50-year mercado became a neighborhood lifeline. She recounts bolstering security, launching volunteer-run food deliveries, and protecting customers during intensive ICE activity. The conversation highlights community resilience, practical aid systems, and the emotional toll on the people who keep the market running.
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Growing Up Inside El Burrito Mercado
- Melissa Silva grew up working in El Burrito Mercado helping her parents unpack trucks, pack corn husks, and play store as a child.
- The family expanded from an 800-square-foot shop into a full mercado with carnitas, tamales, a bakery, deli, and carniceria over decades.
Parents Turned Shoplifting Into Opportunity
- Melissa describes how her parents handled people who stole from the store by offering food, prayer, or a chance to work rather than calling police.
- Former shoplifters later returned emotionally grateful, saying the family's compassion changed their lives.
Precautions Before ICE Raids Began
- Melissa felt the crackdown building throughout the year and locked the mercado's main Cesar Chavez doors in November to force entry through the parking lot.
- Family members stood shifts at the entrance to greet customers and control who entered as a safety measure against ICE raids.